A Few Minutes Late

Shawn Chadwick Sackman  - A Few Minutes Late

A busy wife and mom, she always seemed late

But she didn’t know why, at times she would wait

When a sense of urgency was of great import

Especially to those waiting, most in need of her support

For those of us wondering, “How could she always take so long?”

Since it wasn’t obvious why, oft was heard a car horn

But many times I noticed, even as a small lad

There was intent in her lateness, usually to aid something or someone who had

A need greater than ours, or those we were meeting

Like our dogs needed water, or the horses needed feeding

Or, stopping to talk to an elderly neighbor

Who had just learned of an illness that caused them great labor

There was the time when she stopped the car to explain something of import

We got to ask many questions, she never cut us short

I also remember a stressful day, one where we were late for carpool

And an irate father took it out on her, very uncool

Later that night I could hear her crying as we went to sleep

And I prayed for an angel to visit and tell her not to weep

And to show her how her small decisions to be late

Greatly affect people and other’s lives, which then go on to create

Such a wonderful world for us all to enjoy

If we just keep in mind, that if all of us too employed

A sometimes-slight hesitation, a thought of others before plunging ahead

We’d all get to experience a life with more threads

That fulfills that promise to our creator who asked

Only that we fill our lives with greater weight

And maybe, just maybe, it’s because we’re a few minutes late.