Launch Pad

A Stepping stone.
A launch pad.
A head start.
A trail maker.

I’ve worked, put in the time
To allow those after
Me to go even further.
Paving the way.

Although that was never
Really my intention.
It’s easy to become
Jealous and bitter over the success of others.

See, I was the first in my family to
Go to college.
Highly touted as a success by
The rest of my gene pool.

Now my sister has a masters degree.
My cousin wants to be a doctor,
Or a lawyer. A career
That far eclipses my own on the pay grade.

But despite my naturally
Prideful disposition,
I’m not jealous.
I’m not bitter.

I’m proud.
I’m proud to be a launch pad
For the success of my family.
I’m proud to serve as inspiration.

When I look at my daughters,
I can only imagine the success
That they will attain to,
Due in part to Daddy, the launch pad.

As I look back on my journey,
I see my father, tired, sore, exhausted,
With his hands clasped to
Give me a leg up to opportunities he was never afforded.

I see my mother, exhausted, stressed, busy
With the non stop requirements
Of raising 2 children, sacrificing her dreams
To give me the opportunity to achieve mine.

So yes, I will gladly bend down
To my hands and knees and allow
My family to place a foot
In the middle of my back and jump.

But only under one condition:
Reach for the stars. And if
You fall, don’t stop reaching.
And if you fall again, keep reaching.

And always remember, your success
Is not defined by the number
Of commas in your bank account.
It’s defined by what you did along the way.

I’m proud to be a launch pad.
One of the many steps
In a spiral staircase that
I pray will never end.