My Prayer

Please Lord, prevent me from killing the two year old.
Let me remember the good times after two hours of getting her to nap.
When she tries to stand on the power point and says "stairs" attemping to jump up and down,
let me remember how innocent and sweet she really is.

When I'm laying her down and she tries to kick me in the head, let me remember,
it's not really intended that way,
it's just a simple struggle for autonomy.

When I've asked her thirty times to lie down, taken every teddy bear I can, and she is still jumping up and down clapping and singing "happy clap"
Let my sanity return and remind me that it's probably not OK for me to sit on her to get to lie still.

When I walk inside her room to see every book, toy and belonging taken from its place and strewn across the floor
Let me remember she's probably just expressing her creativity or seeking the attention that I didn't give her for the four minutes I was in the next room.

And when she finally falls asleep approximately five minutes before she's meant to wake up, and is smiling with the face of intoxicated cherub,
let me remember that revenge is not a very motherly desire and besides God will take care of that in time when she has children of her own...

(c) C. Donoghue 2008