Fingerprints
I’m a clean freak. It’s not that I mind dirt—I just mind it in my house. Before I had kids, I polished doorknobs, scrubbed grout with a toothbrush, and cleaned the inside of my oven with an S.O.S. pad. My floors shined, my mirrors sparkled, and my toilets were always fresh and clean.
Fast-forward seven years. With three kids in the house, it was impossible to maintain my sterile standards. Crushed Cheerios embedded in the carpet, finger Jell-O spackled on the high chair, and grains of sand in little shoes were common sights in my less-than-perfect home. And the fingerprints were everywhere!
I eventually realized that messes and dirt are a part of raising kids. I still enjoyed a clean house, but I lowered my standards to “realistic.” I decided I would clean the house thoroughly when my kids went to college, and that day came sooner than I was ready.
Now that I am a grandma, I sometimes notice little fingerprints on my furniture and windows, but I don’t wash them off. I enjoy them and smile.
Fingerprints
There are fingerprints on the table,
there are fingerprints on the chair.
Doorknobs, walls, and bathroom sink—
there are fingerprints everywhere.
I wipe them off the windows,
I wipe them off the mirror.
No matter how I wipe and clean
they always reappear.
But sticky, grimy fingerprints
will someday go away,
as little ones grow up to find
another place to stay.
The windows will sparkle once again,
the doorknobs and mirrors will shine.
The walls and tables will look like new,
and all the chairs will be fine.
Someday I’ll reflect and remember
the days when my children were small,
and I’ll wish that I had some fingerprints
on the windows, tables, or wall.
Here’s to little fingerprints that make us smile!
Crystal
I love this, Crystal. And I’m with you in not wiping away the grandkids’ fingerprints! I even took a picture and posted it on Facebook last year of my little granddaughter’s footprints on my wood floor. I saved them for weeks. Funny how our perspective changes and what used to be an annoyance is now a treasure! Great post and wonderful poem!
Oh dear, I think I’m still in the too many finger prints stage!
Finger prints on the coffee table, hand prints down the hall and on the toilet room door (yuk – don’t want to think about that one for too long!), smudge marks on the fridge door – and yes on the windows too…
But it’s nice to be reminded not to always look on these proofs of existence with resentment. Thanks Crystal. 🙂
You are welcome, Penny! Linda and I see things from the “grandmother perspective” and someday you will understand what we mean.
Hang in there. The days are long, but the years are short. It goes way too fast.
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Thank you for your kind response. We love hearing from you!