small hands cup the soil,
steady and warm,
as if listening
to something unseen.

parents lean closer,
sharing patience,
letting time do
what time does best.

a seedling lifts its leaves,
answering quietly,
to care given
again and again.

“育” speaks of growth —
not forced,
not hurried,
but faithfully tended.

watercolor captures
the gentleness of becoming,
where love is measured
in days, not moments.

perhaps to nurture
is simply to stay,
trusting that what is small
knows how to grow.