What an Aging Mother Wants
Something’s left her.
The reserve,
The stoicism with which
She’s faced her life
Have fallen away
Like so many
Deteriorating bricks.
Now she speaks openly,
Emotionally,
With no ability or desire
To stop herself.
She reviews each of her
Long grown children’s lives
Again and again,
As if they were lined up
In front of her,
As if she could wipe away
A smudge here,
Straighten a collar there.
Thoughts have become
More cloudy these days,
But her single purpose
Has become more clear.
She just wants her children
To be happy.
In the end, little else matters.
She just wants them
To be happy.
By Maria Brady-Smith
Photo by Mike Smith
Happy Sunday morning! Today is Mike’s mom’s birthday. She would have been 99 years old. I wrote this poem about ten years ago after a conversation with her that made me realize that we never stop worrying about our children, even when they are long grown.
Just beautiful and so true.
Thank you, Joy. Thanks for taking time to read it, too.
Thanks for the memory and such a beautiful picture.
Thank you, Jay. You knew her long before I did!
I imagine you heard quite a bit that day. Thank you. I miss her.
Its hard to imagine that it has been over six years!
Thanks Maria. It’s so accurate of her. I miss talking with her so much. There are always questions I want to ask, and experiences I want to share, so I comfort myself by knowing that she’s always with me.
I see a lot of her in you, Monica.
Beautiful Truth,
Even at 58
Beautiful portrait of Jenny. ❤️
Thanks, Kacy. We are getting there, aren’t we?