We waited for one baby step,
one tooth, one word, and one birthday.
One became two, and two became four,
and soon came the first day of school.
We counted grades, scores, and years,
and counted our failure in each crush.
Then came paychecks, houses, and more,
and we kept counting what came next.
Now it is time to count eighty candles,
having mastered the art of counting.
We counted everything around us,
except the moments we were living.
Now I look back at the ledger,
wondering what I could not count—
the days we missed laughing together,
the hours we could have loved more.
