When I asked you to empty the dryer
You left a sock behind
When I asked you to get a bottle of milk
For your baby brother
You left the gallon of milk on the counter
After I asked you to put your socks in the hamper
I later found them in front of it
All alone on the floor

I realized that I was holding you to my standards
You barely in the double digits
And me having already passed my thirtieth birthday and then some
You who struggle with executive functioning
And want so much to succeed
And keep trying even when it is so hard to
Remember all the steps of each task and get them done
One by one

Me who thinks she’s perfect in all the jobs she does
And realizes that there are times she can slip up too
And not see things as they really are
And am most grateful for the people in my life
Who give me grace
All the time

Me who needs to stop sometimes and focus on what was done
Say things like, “thanks for taking care of your baby brother and giving him a bottle so he can calm down” and then something to the extent of, “I really appreciate when you put the milk away so it stays fresh”
And then walk away
And occasionally it’s ok to just pick up those lonely socks and have them join the other mismatched ones in the hamper

Because there is only so much that I can include on my agenda for today
The socks can wait
The smiles cannot
The positive feedback cannot
The building of a child, a human being, cannot
So I will give him grace as I would like others to give me too
And hope that with time we will be able to tackle the case of the lonely socks
It does not have to be today