So little time, I softly say,
As your tiny hands stretch more each day.
From teetered steps to endless run,
You chase the breeze, you chase the sun.
I watched your first uncertain grin,
The dimpled cheeks, the joy within.
I caught your fall, I cheered with pride,
I stayed right there, right by your side.
But as you bloom, the minutes fly,
And time wears youth like a disguise.
You trade warm laps for daring tries,
You swap wide eyes for asking “why?”
I marvel at the life you weave—
The dreams you chase, the worlds you leave.
And in the hush when day is done,
My thoughts slip off to years to come.
Will I be there when your heart first breaks?
Your first brave leap, the chance you take?
Will I watch you write, or dance, or drive—
Or see your spark in evening’s quiet?
I gather moments, small and bright,
Like fireflies in the soft twilight.
There’s still so much I hope to see—
Each “first” that may outpace me.
But if I’m called before you’re grown,
Know, love, you never walked alone.
Each step you take, I walked it too—
Just one sure heartbeat behind you.