Read the roll and remember,
each name a story of what you have given.
Names of progenies fill the page.
Here a memory of a birth, there a wedding,
a graduation and honors for bragging rights.
But also here a broken arm, a dented fender,
a report card needing explanation,
and an angry neighbor mourning stolen fruit.
Long wakeful nights wondering
if the borrowed car was parked where it should be
and the driver safe.
Stretching pennies for jeans and beans,
tuition and books.
Always supporting and expecting the best
but prepared for the worst.
Hospital watches, infrequent letters
and money borrowed, the day to day
sitting as heads of the clans.
We have received great
and frequent gifts from you,
piled high beyond all tally.
But the greatest gift of all
to this long family roster
is the love and life you
have given each other this past decade.
An inheritance of love giving to be
passed from generation to generation.
Jack and Helen, happy 10th anniversary
to the two of you!
You read the names and remember.
We watch what you do and see
how to live a life worth remembering.