A Mother

A Mother

When I was young, so were you,
And as I grew, you grew too;
But now I see the wrinkles stretching across your face.
Your eyes are tired.
And yet when you see me, you still have that same sweet smile.
And I know I put those wrinkles there;
The white hair too,
And I have to ask, “was I worth it to you?”
You take my hands within your own, squeezing fiercely as you say,
“You were worth every minute.
You were worth every day.”
“But you spent your life raising…me;
And you could’ve been living your own life,
You could’ve been doing other things.”
“And I’d do it all again if the Lord would let me,” you say.
“Don’t you see that I’ve taken all my beauty and given it to you?
Yes, I’ve given you my youth;
But I’ve also given you all my kindness and love. 
I’ve given you all my joy;
My laughter and tears, 
And I can only hope that I haven’t given you my fears and failures too.
I’ve tried to give you all the best parts of me,
And I hope that wherever life takes you, that you’ll remember me.
Brighten the world with your smile.
Share your kindness with a stranger.
And love, love, love!
Love even those who don’t deserve it.
Share the beauty I’ve given you;
And perhaps, 
Someday, 
We will see it all the world through.”