Rollercoaster called parenthood

You plan to have a child,
It seems a simple enough endeavor,
But your emotions mount a roller coaster,
And the ride will last forever.....

Your world will hold the best and worst,
Of all that life can hold,
And you'll find new emotions,
That up till now, were left untold.

Yes, you'll find love, and pride and warmth,
And peace and fun and laughter,
And happiness and bonding and...
Friendship that lasts forever,

But what no one ever seems to relate,
Is what really happens at birth,
That baby is born with a piece of your heart,
And hangs on to it with all that it's worth.

From that moment on, you find that your heart,
Now lives outside of your bod,
And you hurt when it hurts, but can't do a thing,
And you learn...... how to pray to your God!

For as this small child, becomes an adult,
You feel what they feel, but alas,
You feel like you're in a meteor storm,
And you live in a house made of glass!

This churning sensation in the pit of your stomach,
When the world brings your children to tears,
And you can't pick them up now, and rock them to sleep,
And a kiss won't dissolve all their fears.

And you realize now, why they left this part out,
Of the "Joys of Parenthood" book,
Had you known where this led, it's possible that,
Another road you'd have took.

Then you'd have missed a whole lot of grief,
But you'd miss much more that is good.
For the highs can't be higher......there's no greater excitement....
Than that "Coaster" they call ...... "Parenthood".

.........................