I know it is just a summer job to you
A way to earn some cash for gas
Or back-to-school clothes
But you are also
Making a lasting impression on my kids
When you soothe the pre-schooler’s fear
Of splashing during swim lessons
Or notice the 2nd grader who cannot quite
Break into a group of friends at camp
You are shaping their childhood
They squeal with delight when you arrive to babysit
And triple-check when you’re coming back
So they don’t miss it
Don’t miss you
For you are a celebrity to them
The one who manipulates with her sweetness
And the one who seems quiet unless you make the first move
They are taking it all in
They are taking you in
Making you part of who they are
Their excitement is contagious when they report
You both had the same sandwiches for lunch
Or that you can kick the ball SO FAR
And that you didn’t smash the lady bug
But helped it escape out the window.
They will talk about you for months
They want to be you when they “grow up”
The words you utter, even under your breath
Will be spoken in their high-pitched voices
Long after they forget who first said them
From you they start to imagine that in-between stage
Between child and adulthood
They start to aspire
From me:
Thank you.
Lee Ann M. Pomrenke 