Appreciate Your Sapling

Don't judge a sapling for being rooted.

They may appear rigid,

But their path hasn't yet been determined.

There's no telling how or why their branches will reach out,

There is only promise of growth.

Don't determine a sapling's outcome before they've lived.

They may seem apprehensive,

But their passion hasn't yet been ignited.

There's no telling what they may share at the end of a season,

There's only promise of them becoming.

Do appreciate a sapling for their every sprout.

They may offer the expected or unexpected,

But they are sharing in ways that only they can.

There's no telling what their insights could mean to you,

There's only the promise of growing together.

I wrote this poem while thinking about how to raise my almost teen daughter and reflecting on my time at her age. I felt judged as a teen but, looking back, I realize that those are the times when life is just beginning, and judgment shouldn't be made carelessly.