Carrying for Life

European Baby-wearing Week is here;
Supporting families and all they hold dear.

Whether mother or father, your role is great;
Nurturing and raising the life you create.

From the comfort of their maternal home;
Sanctuary in the abdominal dome.

The moment they enter this hectic world;
Into a place unfamiliar, they are hurled.

A place of formidable sounds and sights;
With colossal space and towering heights.

When safety is something for which they hanker;
Parents serve as their emotional anchor.

Providing them with a familiar face;
A reminder of home, a dependable space.

An extension of the comfort you bring;
Is holding them close, using a sling.

Whether a strap, ring, buckle or knot;
These precious moments will never be forgot.

Every gesture or cry, whether small or grand;
You read and respond to every demand.

The bond is unique and symbiotic;
Sharing a moment, a life less chaotic.

In this bubble, the outside is hushed;
Not to be disturbed, never to be rushed.

Feeling their warmth upon your chest;
A tremendous love for your heart to digest.

But your heart never fills, never causes commotion;
This is love, unconditional devotion.

You may have had the worst of days;
Your mind lost in the parental haze.

In that bubble, your mind set free;
Becoming the parent you’re destined to be.

Just look in their eyes and all becomes clear;
This job has purpose, it’s why you’re here.

You support them in every facet of life;
Through all the joys and all the strife.

From the pain of their early infant jabs;
To the bumps and falls, the scrapes and scabs.

Through all this, the sling is a shield;
Where physical and emotional wounds are healed.

Carrying also provides a place for fun;
Where games are played and races are won.

Eventually they grow and no longer slung;
Time moves fast, no longer so young.

But the bond still stands and the support still strong;
Offering advice or a shoulder, to right any wrong.

Your job not over, throughout your days;
You will be there to carry them, forever, always.

By Paul Webster