You've Done It (Graciously)

First things first:
You built a lovely home.
A comfy refuge for travelers,
no matter where they roamed.

Second things second:
You’ve got a quiet wit.
No one can drop a dig
with quite your brutal twist.

Third things third:
You love your boys.

There isn’t a thing you wouldn’t
do to save us from the storm.
We are the luckiest of all the sons
because it is to you whom we were born.

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The way you pour a drink;
the way the glass and plastic clink;
the way your laughter booms
as it echoes through the rooms;
the way your inner confidence
saw you through life’s many dents;
the way your adoration hits
amidst her blushing giggle fits;
your devotion to your cause
through disappointment and loss;

All these things and more
built our family lore.
So now we toast to fifty years
and set off for fifty more,
filled with more joy than tears
as we conquer all our fears.

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In many ways where you are
is where I’d like to be.
You’ve endured times of sorrow
and made times of glee.

You’ve been resource-constrained,
but now you’re running free.
And your boundless love for family
is clear for all to see.

The harshness of reality
hasn’t spared you (or me).
You’ve weathered it, for better,
and you’ve done it graciously.