I’ve read all the popular parenting books
which can be distilled
into two words
“show empathy”
but they left out the part
where your child
is hurting
and suddenly you realize
you’ve empathized too far
like a person running downhill
you can’t stop
feeling his feelings
so you try to find the page in the books
where they teach you
how to tame the boa constrictor
that has taken over
your insides
but you just see
“show empathy”
over and over
until finally you get it
and you whisper to yourself
in your kindest voice:
it’s hard to watch your kid suffer
it’s natural to feel this way
I can’t believe how well you’re holding up
you’re a good mom
and he’ll be okay.