Born of Earth and Embers

You were planted with love,
a seed nestled deep in the soil of our hearts,
and before the sun ever kissed your skin,
before the wind ever whispered your name,
I knew—you were special.

Curled inside the womb, stubborn and sure,
the doctors said, "If the child doesn’t turn, we’ll have to take them out."
But even then, you knew your own way.
You would not be flipped. You would not be forced.
You were already rooted,
already growing in the direction only you could see.

And so you arrived--
the first of your kind,
a force of nature,
a will as strong as the earth beneath our feet.

The day they placed you in my arms,
I felt it.
Your fire, your fight, the embers in your soul.
A spark that would never dim,
a warmth that would never wane.

We were new then,
hands fumbling through the unknown,
learning to tend to you as best we could.
But you—oh, child of mine--
you did not wait for the world to teach you how to walk.
You carved your own path, steady and sure,
feet bare against the earth,
fingers in the soil,
eyes set on a horizon most cannot see.

The fire inside you never wavered.
The embers in your soul burned steady,
guiding you like the North Star,
pulling you toward a life most only dream of--
a life of your own making.

You have built more than a life--
you have built a way of being.
You have raised creatures, tended the land,
read stories the world has forgotten,
and written your own in the footprints you leave behind.
You have learned to take only what is needed,
to honor the cycles of life,
to live with intention,
and to exist without apology.

You have taught me more than I ever taught you.
You have shown me that we do not have to chase more,
we do not have to shrink to fit,
we do not have to lose ourselves to belong.
We simply are.
And that is enough.

And today, as we venture forth to a Common Ground,
a place built on the same values that pulse through your veins,
we are not just trading seeds--
we are planting a future.
A future where knowledge is passed,
where hands meet soil,
where life sustains life,
where roots grow deep.

Oh, child of mine--
when I see you,
when I see the fire in your eyes,
the quiet strength in your hands,
the love you have for this world,
I know--
the world will be just fine.
Not because it has always been,
but because one day,
they will turn and see you shine.