On The Back On An Old Closet Door Poem by Jim Yerman

With the family visiting again this holiday..as they have so many times before
It was once again time to revisit…the back of our old closet door.

On it Deborah and I have placed one of our most treasured sights
A history of our family's growth recorded in our children and grandchildren's heights.

Heights have been inscribed on this door for over 35 years
It was time to update our two youngest grandchildren…
who have grown 6 inches it appears…

This closet door reminds us…as we read heights written in black pen
How every child grows…it's not a matter of will they..
it's a matter of when

(I wonder if growing taller is as big an accomplishment
as we all might be thinking
Because, although we've not recorded our heights…
I think Deborah and I are shrinking.)

Be that as it may I can't open this door without smiling
sometimes a tear finds its way to my eye
as I realize when facing it…how quickly time goes by.

With the future always one step away…a future approaching so fast
opening this door is a wonderful way to pause and revisit our past.

To look back on our children and grandchildren…
Now that they've all grown taller than us…
back to a time not that long ago
when they were all smaller than us.

Yes, we've been recording heights here for over 35 years
and hope to record here for over 35 more…
But…if there ever comes a time we have to move away…
Moving with us…will be this old closet door.