The Day I Became the One

The day I became a superhero came on a hot August morning when I thought my life was about to begin. When I thought I could feel endless possibilities in the way the sun shone warm on my skin.

A day when the sky was at its bluest and your hugs wrapped completely around me. When you looked at me with pride before you said goodbye and walked away.

If I could go back, I would stop you. I would ask you to stay. I would do anything but watch you drive away.

My first power didn't come when I heard the knock. It came when I opened the door and learned I could come back from anything after they told me you were gone. My second came when I discovered I could trade my dreams for others. The third when I learned I could carry any weight.

Packing up the things for college, I'd only unpacked that morning. I got in my car and discovered I had the power to start a whole new life in an instant. Watching the miles disappear in front of the windshield, I gained years of wisdom while Lana Del Ray sang about summertime sadness.

Pulling into the driveway. Watching your little faces as you ran from the front door. I found I had an endless amount of love to give. Crying tears on the tops of your little heads and wrapping my arms around your tiny shoulders, I knew I could do so many things I couldn't do a day before.

I could be a superhero. I could leave behind who I was to be your world. I could be Mom and Dad. I could use my new superpowers to take care of everything you would ever need.