Hudson’s Choices

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by Ginger Burke

My name is Hudson
It wasnโ€™t my choice
My parents just named me
Before I had a voice

I canโ€™t choose my sister
My birthday or height
My eye color, teeth size
Or if Iโ€™m black or white

I canโ€™t choose the time
Of rain, hail, or snow
When the sun sets or
The wildflowers grow

So what can I do?
Do I not get a say?
What I want doesnโ€™t matter?
I never get my way?

Well Iโ€™m glad that you asked
Because I know that itโ€™s true
I get lots of choices
All the day through

I can choose to be mad
When I lose my best ball
Or my friend canโ€™t come play
Or I get hurt when I fall

And I can complain
When Iโ€™m in a bad mood
And nothing is good
Not friends, toys, or food.

But itโ€™s not fun to be angry
And grumpy and whiny
Itโ€™s more fun to choose building
And singing and climbing

I can choose to be happy
And sometimes thatโ€™s easy
On bike rides or big slides
Or when jumping in leaves-
Whee!

And sometimes itโ€™s hard,
Oh so hard, to choose smiling
When life is unfair
But Iโ€™ll keep on trying

I can choose to say โ€œnoโ€
To things that are bad
Like throwing my food
Or being mean to my dad

I can choose to say โ€œyesโ€
To eating my veggies
Obeying my parents
Saying โ€œthank youโ€ and โ€œpleaseโ€

I can choose to be nice
When my friend takes my cars
Or says something mean
Or hits me too hard

And though that is tough
Itโ€™s the right way to be
Iโ€™ll be a good friend
He can learn that from me

And sometimes Iโ€™ll fail
And my choice will be bad
Inside Iโ€™ll feel rotten
Like my heart ripped in half

When I make a bad choice
I have more choices to make
I can lie and pretend
That everythingโ€™s great

Or I can confess
And say I was wrong
This is what God loves and
The truth makes me strong

My best choice will be
Whom to serve with my heart
Will I settle for selfishness?
Or let God set me apart?

If my days give me sunshine
Or just rain and wind
I can choose to be thankful
And trust God knows the end

And when I get older
The choices arenโ€™t done:
Whom Iโ€™ll vote for and marry,
And a name for my son ๐Ÿ™‚


Read about Ginger Burke here.


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Artwork: “A Little Boy” by Christian Krohg, 1890. Public Domain.

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