Mothers are Human too

Moments in Honesty: Mothers are Human too

People think life is a straight path

There are curves, mountains, boulders and most of all

Questions

Whose answers you don’t hear

Because you listen with the wrong ears.

My mother is a woman of strength

I learned lessons

That did not become clear

Until I could view her through the lens

Of humanity instead of perfection

As mothers are human too.

My mother smiles to cover the pain

That her eyes broadcast

Her journey into motherhood

Taught me that

With no instruction manual, toxic motherhood examples

And a life of pain most lots of which is not only your own;

You do the best that you can

Her struggles with healing and acceptance

Gave birth to the desires of change

The pain inside of her that laced my childhood with abuse

And an atmosphere of doubt, fear and hurt

Taught me to understand

That I had to be strong enough to carry the torch

That she could not

Through healed eyes I see

A woman hurt

A woman who struggled

A woman who survived

And I am thankful that those same traits were passed to me

On my journey to healing not only myself

But my family

In honesty, I understand

That she gave me the space

To do the work that others could not

She gave me the tools that she had

To sculpt the world in the shape

That my ancestors spoke of

Her life is a testimony of

What can be and what will

And with the strength of all those who came before me

I see the parts of her, my grandmother and all the women in me

That tell me change is my destiny

And they loan me their strength, experiences and wisdom

And though most think that a childhood

Should be kisses and puppy dog tails

Awakened eyes understand that the path you walk

The road your feet touch

The work you do

The hurt you endure

The pain you feel

The lessons you learn

Were only possible

Though the vessel of mother that was willing

To give birth

Which was the best she could do

In the love she knew………