Observance

 Oh, many's the time my heart stood still.
And not from a scare or a run up a hill.
But something so beautiful as to make you stutter,
Or an event so joyful as to make your heart flutter.
Like at Christmas time when I was a boy,
and I'd find under the tree a wished-for toy.
How about being cited at graduation
Or some worthy cause for celebration.
When I took my first car for a ride
My heart and my feelings were fit to be tied.
And when I first laid eyes on my wife
It stopped and I knew it was for life.
Three times my wife gave birth to a child
Three times it stopped, then went wild.
And when we lost our first born
It slowed down enough to mourn.
I've lost dear relatives and many a friend;
It stops, but it doesnt have to end.
So until that fateful stopping day
one thing I'd like to be known to say,
I wish you many moments that give you a thrill
and may you feel blessed when your heart stands still.

WAP 6/20/06