Mother,
I don’t say “mom” as one utters a word,
but as one summons a refuge.
You were the first to hear me without sound,
the first to feel my steps before I ever walked.
You were the earth that never asked for glory,
the silence that held up my cry.
I saw you break into fragments so I could be whole.
I witnessed your moonless nights,
your days worn thin but your heart still burning.
You gave your flesh to my story
and your time to my wings.
You never asked for anything in return,
and yet you gave it all.
With every sacrifice you made,
I grew.
With every hidden tear,
I was being formed.
You didn’t just give me life:
you gave me meaning.
Today, now that I have words to name what I feel,
I name you root, I name you strength, I name you eternity.
Because it was you who taught me to endure,
to love without conditions,
to believe in myself when everything outside screamed no.
You are the flame that never goes out,
the guardian of all I am.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.
Because loving you is not a matter of a date,
it is a matter of awareness.