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I Can Give More

The Nanny's Mantra

By Hadley FrancesPublished 5 years ago 1 min read
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I say to myself

I can give more

When my eyes are blurry from sleep still

And they rush around the corner smelling of warm pajamas and bed head

I can give more

When the dishes are already a high tower of dark doom and it’s only 8 AM

I can give more

When how many loads of laundry left?

Four? Okay.

I whisper

I can give more

She spits yoghurt all over me and the floor and then laughs maniacally

I can give more

She kicks hard when I change her

Bruising my arms and chest

I can give more

Sister asks every 60 seconds what should she do now that I’ve said no to the screen

I can give more

Where the hell did those crunched up goldfish crackers come from?

Didn’t I just sweep in here?

I can give more

When all they want to eat are lucky charms and quite honestly I feel the same

I can give more

Little arms wrap around my neck and I am the recipient of wet kisses

Yes, I can give more

Is the water too hot?

I can give more

Is the music too loud?

I can give more

How many more hours?

Minutes?

Seconds?

I can give more

Because when I get home I’ll lay in my quiet bed,

And I’ll look at the videos of them dancing and begging me to watch

I can give more

Because the second I am not next to her I begin to worry

Has she been changed in the last hour?

Is she hungry?

Did she go to bed easy?

Bad dreams?

I can give more

I am the nanny 40 hours a week

My heart is pumping the word “mother” 24/7

I can give more

Because loving a child is worth more then the rest of my life put together

And loving a child is not dependent on whether or not I gave birth myself

It is dependent on these four words

I can give more.

inspirational
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About the Creator

Hadley Frances

Long honey-brown hair and just one dimple.

Loves: pasta, rivers, other people.

Writer by night, or rather by the hours I do not spend at my day job, or hunting for thrifted treasures...

Read on, folks!

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