I've watched you grow and grow,
Taller, stronger, bolder,
Undeniable like a weed,
Upwards like a tree,

I smile to think of where you'll be,
Sometimes through great pain,
As you grow farther from me,
Happy tears for a fulfilled dream.

One hand on your sturdy trunk,
I remember you little sapling,
And before that a precious seed,
Now look at your broad leaves,
All these mouths you feed,
Shelter others in your canopy.

Never forget though,
That one day you'll be me,
Standing down here watching,
Your own offspring,
Climbing further away,
If we're lucky and keep working,
You can have this gift too,
The passed torch still burning

There's new life in this damp forest floor,
Even your shed leaves are precious to me,
Every old shirt and drawing,
All these outgrown things,
Nothing is ever wasted,
Even your most regretful mistakes,
Each twisted gnarly sprain,
Turns to something beautiful in time

Don't you worry about me,
There's new joy in remembering,
To looking back and seeing,
We made it from the valley,
And you'll have more than me,
Your own children won't know this suffering,
Because we build when others break,
Unafraid to see the world a new way.