to the single college kids causing me to doubt the value of my large family so young:

now 31
racing past the prime



and who taught and modeled the right way to be adult?
and who taught and modeled the drive to be more than you were?




And now these prizes
people past able to be value placed
these people fill cramped living spaces with their coughs and laughs and boogers and jokes

with their smiles with snaggle teeth and hearts full to burst with ability
to love
to grow
to develop all genetics passed down to them


now too big to be so small
too tall to crawl into lap
too heavy to tackle

associates
bachelors
masters
doctorate


tiny broken full heart
your full mexican american heart to love
to heal now that lost simplicity of childhood
sensitive to small
too quick to figure out
not willing to conform to now any mold
now too bold
these to comfort
not papers to type
not goals to achieve
loans to pay
dorms in which to stay
now piles of bills to pay
every day
my treasure now hidden in four small beating hearts

and that is enough
yes
that is enough