These Last Fifteen Years

Could I think of some ways I’d have made you proud
Or maybe some things to make you laugh out loud?
Could I tell you with pride all the things I’ve done,
The battles I’ve fought, or the wars I have won?
I find myself in a tight spot.
I’m sorry to say I might not
Have earned my three cheers.
What would I want you to know, or
What good do I have to show for
These last fifteen years?

You are a great-great-grandma now, so congrats.
Your grandchildren? All wearing their grown-up hats.
You’d get such a kick from my partner in crime
We laugh and I think of you time after time.
But thinking about my choices,
Remembering broken voices,
Brings up all these fears:
What would I want you to know, or
What good do I have to show for
These last fifteen years?

I guess I should probably reset my view,
Cast off negativity, bid it adieu,
Give positive thinking the ol’ college try
So when I can finally make my reply,
I won’t get my nose out of joint—
For shame isn’t really the point.
Choose laughter, not tears.
What would I want you to know, or
What good do I have to show for
These last fifteen years?