My neighbor steps out onto his back porch
holding his baby in the crook of his arm.
She looks around eagerly,
her small arm light on his shoulder.
She is not afraid of falling,
and she won’t, not in his arms.
I’ve held my own children just this way,
so I know this:
She will grow heavier,
holding will become harder,
and falling is inevitable—
but not from his arms.
And when the day comes
when he can no longer pick her up,
his heart will continue to hold her
with an invisible strength, often unnoticed.
This is the wonder of love,
the way we hold each other.
Like air holds clouds aloft,
like the sea holds whales suspended,
like light holds the mystery of years gone by,
our hearts carry each other.
Love expands and makes space.
Love holds the weight it needs to hold.
-kh-

Nurture peace, cultivate kindness, and carry the calm.

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Text and photos © Karyn Henley 2025. All rights reserved.