I wrote this poem on Mother's Day in 2005. My daughter had called to wish me a happy Mother's Day. She, also, had a surprise for me! She was expecting her second baby! What a wonderful surprise!!
My mother has Alzheimer's and although she is still with us, we have lost sharing memories with her. I thought about my daughter beginning motherhood, the joys of being a grandmother, and my mother at the end of her journey. This is what I wrote:
A Mother's Journey
by Jeannine Carroll
A young mother, intoxicated with the joy of motherhood,
begins a journey across the mountain tops
and valleys of her heart.
Does she now this is forever?
Through love and nurturing, her children grow, as she has grown.
Gone are the nighttime feedings, diapers and story times.
Her children are entrusted to others- teachers, peers, coaches...
Do the entrusted know they hold her heart in their hands?
The time comes to share her children with their "life's love".
Vows are exchanged at "happily ever after" weddings.
Mother rides in the backseat
as her children take their place in the front.
Do they know how long the road ahead will be?
Her children become parents.
Oh, the joys of being a grandmother!
Tiny bundles of memories- How fast time went!
Do they know how soon today will become yesterday?
Now, Mother needs "mothering".
How hard it is to accept the help she needs.
How beautiful to see how lovingly it is given!
Being a mother was the journey of a lifetime!
How had she known?
Mother's do not get paid for their work because it is priceless!
Happy Mother's Day and never forget how important the job you are doing is!!
