Rolling

I didn’t think I would cry like I did as we talked about today.
I played this video for them, and even in cartoon it’s heart-stopping.
As I held My Loves, I thought of the Loves who no longer have mothers to hold them.
And mothers with no Loves to hold.
And oof.
Just oof.

Yesterday, I was well aware of today.
We talked of Jack & Jill tumbling downhill.
And then…we did it.
They did it.
They rolled and they laughed.
And then I did it.
I rolled and I laughed.
And they laughed more.

The world spun around faster and faster.
Up was down and down was up.
But at the bottom, we stopped and caught our breath.
Racing to the top, we started again.
Over and over.
Happy.
Free.

Eleven years ago the spinning halted, if ever so briefly.
And then catapulted into high gear, faster and faster.
Up was down and down was up.
But in the end, we stopped and caught our breath.
And we, as a nation, started again.
Not happy, but grateful.
Not free from fear, but so very thankfully free.