My Greatest Achievement

Of all of my achievements, you are my greatest
Through time you will supersede them all
In moment to moment, from my first to the last
You alone will live up to the call
I’m not naive enough to know
There will be no sign of trouble
As the years pass and time goes on
Like us all you are sure to stumble
Through trial and error you will learn your way
Your insight will bring you far
Oh the greatness that is sure to follow you
Despite any earned pains and scars
As I moved through my years I stopped to consider
Just what my task in life may be
Would it be to entertain others
Or bring insight for young students to see
I could not land on a passion, my focus it would change
On one choice I could never decide
A plethora of paths lay out before me
Some paths were narrow and some paths gaping wide
After enough time had gone by to leave me stranded
In a limbo of just what to do
Imagine my weary spirit’s rejoicing at seeing your face
At last, I would be able to come through
I wasn’t adrift or lost at sea
There was a plan for me all along
For whatever I was managing to do with just me
You would be my life’s great end song
I would bring you up into the man you were to be
My best would be all you would get
I would be there to bring a smile to your face
And build a life that you would never regret
My own failings I would use with a cartographer’s care
As a map to navigate your life
So the same pitfalls that I befell
You would never know that feeling of strife
You may not know now just what you have
In store for you as you travel
But just trust in me when I say to you
All you need is put your foot to some gravel
You are blessed more than you know
Inside you, a cornucopia of talents
You have the wisdom to know which tools to use
And apply whatever skill your challenge warrants

I have no doubt in my mind that my charge was for you
No one can tell me differently
As you move through your life to see all that’s in store
Know that I stood by you ever so fervently
I rest now and I am secure
In my race that I have already won
For it is you who is my greatest achievement
My pride trails in your wake, my son