The Girl I Used to Be...
She came tonight as I sat alone,
The girl I used to be...
And she gazed at me with her earnest eye
And questioned reproachfully:
Have you forgotten the many plans
And hopes that I had for you?
The great career, the splendid fame,
All the wonderful things to do?
Where is the mansion of stately height
With all of its gardens rare?
The silken robes that I dreamed for you
And the jewels in your hair?
And as she spoke, I was very sad
For I wanted her pleased with me...
This slender girl from the shadowy past,
The girl that I used to be.
So gently rising, I took her hand,
And guided her up the stair,
Where peacefully sleeping, my babies lay
Innocent, sweet, and fair.
And I told her that these are my only gems,
And precious they are to me;
That silken robe is my motherhood
Of costly simplicity.
And my mansion of stately height is love,
And the only career I know
Is serving each day in these sheltered walls
For the dear ones who come and go.
And as I spoke to my shadowy guest,
She smiled through her tears at me.
And I saw that the woman that I am now
Pleased the girl that I used to be.
~ Author Unknown
With all of its gardens rare?
The silken robes that I dreamed for you
And the jewels in your hair?
And as she spoke, I was very sad
For I wanted her pleased with me...
This slender girl from the shadowy past,
The girl that I used to be.
So gently rising, I took her hand,
And guided her up the stair,
Where peacefully sleeping, my babies lay
Innocent, sweet, and fair.
And I told her that these are my only gems,
And precious they are to me;
That silken robe is my motherhood
Of costly simplicity.
And my mansion of stately height is love,
And the only career I know
Is serving each day in these sheltered walls
For the dear ones who come and go.
And as I spoke to my shadowy guest,
She smiled through her tears at me.
And I saw that the woman that I am now
Pleased the girl that I used to be.
~ Author Unknown
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I love that poem. Thank you for sharing it and have a blessed weekend!
ReplyDeleteThe tears came when I first read it today. I am glad you liked it too...
DeleteNot only is this poem beautiful, but it has a great message as well. Thank you for sharing it. It's one for all wives/mothers/homemakers to remember always. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree! Thanks for visiting Mara :)
DeleteBeautiful...thanks so much for sharing. Blessings
ReplyDeleteDoesn't it just tear at the heart and put everything into perspective in a simple way? Thanks for visiting!
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! That is a great message to me! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Sara, Nice to hear from you! Glad you liked it :)
DeleteBeautiful! Thank you so much for sharing. I think I will print it off and give it to my Dad (who wishes I was still the "girl I used to be").
ReplyDeleteI don't think many daddies want their little girls to grow up :)
DeleteI wish it were so sweet, he is just disappointed in my path...homeschooling mother, large family, etc.
Delete"The great career, the splendid fame,
All the wonderful things to do?"
This excerpt is what he wanted for me.
I see… in that case, we continue to honor and love our father knowing that we must continue the calling and be obedient to our Heavenly Father.
DeleteAnd during all this, we know God is making sense of everything else behind the scenes (Romans 8:28).
So beautiful, I have never heard that. I am so blessed by it. I am stopping by from a wise woman's link up. So glad for the encouragement.
ReplyDeleteI think it is such a blessing because we know our "dreams" as little girls and this speaks straight to the heart. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteJES, How can I thank you enough for sharing the gems you find here? They all are so lovely and draw my heart back to Christ. Wonderful exhortation in few words!!
ReplyDeleteThis is what I put on the FB link to you: "I am featuring this post by JES my friend with the gift of encouragement. (PS, she is not on FB, so this may be the only way you find her) Every time I take 5 minutes to go to her blog, I am hugely touched. I think you will be, too!"
ReplyDeleteOhhhhh! You have made me cry - but happy tears… Such a sweet thing to write. I am so blessed to have "met" you Jacqueline :)
DeleteI had never heard that poem. LOVED it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this. Lovely, just lovely :)
ReplyDeleteI have come over from Deep Roots at Home! Wonderful poem! It expresses so much of why I am a stay at home mom and why I home school. There is nothing more precious or a higher calling than laying down our lives and ambitions for others...our children and our dear Husbands and all those who the Lord sends our way. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete