In My Mother’s Shoes

On the night of my high school graduation, my mom handed me a wrapped gift and, teary-eyed, asked me to open it. As I ran my fingers along the edges of my present, I could tell that the item underneath was encased in a picture frame. I assumed that  it was a family photo or a piece of artwork that she had selected for me to hang on my wall, but when I tore the carefully-taped paper away, something unexpected appeared before my eyes.

My mother had composed and scribed (in calligraphy) a poem, written straight from her heart to mine. It went like this:

For Bianca

I had a dream and believed in it.
I had a faith and trusted in it.
I believed in miracles and God delivered you into my heart.
You were my precious dream come true,
Illuminating my life forever.
As you graduate, I experience mixed emotions,
Nostalgia,
Memories of hugs and kisses,
Laughter and tears.
You let me share your innocence.
Now you’ve emerged, a beautiful young woman,
A butterfly from a chrysalis,
Poised to spread your wings and fly.
The years went by too fast,
But I feel happiness and pride,
Awe and wonder at all you have become,
And I pray you will always have faith and dreams for yourself.
For dreams do come true,
And God will deliver yours too.

I thought the poem was beautiful, but at 16, the heartfelt words went a bit over my head. I thought it was cheesy, but I knew it was special. I gave my mom a big hug, thanked her for her gift, and tucked the framed memento away.

Tonight as I celebrated Mother’s Day with my mom, I read through the poem again, which now hangs in a gold frame in her hallway. Reading it as an adult – and especially as a mother brought new meaning to her poem for me.

I could feel her love seeping out through her written words. Tears welled up in my eyes as I pictured her sitting at a table, pen in hand. Scribing these words – pouring her heart out through her fingers and onto the paper.

I could also picture myself. Sitting at a table, pen in hand. Reminiscing over my oldest daughter‘s childhood years and trying to find the right words to express my love and pride. I pictured myself in my mother’s shoes, and hoped that my children would one day look at me with the same full heart and gratitude that I feel for her today.