Thank-you Note
for my Graces at Christmastime
One of the visible spirits of Grace in my life,
You offer me always more love than I’ve ever deserved;
With critical eye and kind heart you regard what I do
And judge it all with generosity, always unswerved.
When I go walking the thin ice of hard public scrutiny,
Your hand’s there to steady my paces so I rarely stumble;
With warmth you pick out for me what’s best in work that I do,
And still your intelligence questions me, keeping me humble.
There have been many times when, to do all the work that I wanted
To do, I would try to be tireless, hard-palmed and tough;
Every time I have failed and then blamed myself for all my weaknesses,
Your quiet applause has convinced me my best is enough.
If you now suspect you’re the one to whom this is addressed,
Know you are indeed a Grace with which my life has been blest.
