Remembering my mother on Mother’s Day:
This is a poem I originally wrote and read at my mother’s service. It has been one year and six months since she passed away from heart complications as a result of her long fight with breast cancer. I wish all mothers a happy Mother’s Day. Please educate yourself and others on the awareness of breast cancer and be diligent with regular screenings. I hope you enjoy this poem.
Pieces
The saying goes, “a mother should never have to bury her children, her children should bury her.” Although I know this, nothing could have ever completely prepared me for this day. A piece of me was lost on November 25th, 2021.
Pieces, pieces, pieces are those things we try to pick up and put back together. With an imperfect puzzle such as life, sometimes we never get a chance to construct a perfect picture. Yet it is the imperfections that I cherish so much. Momma, you made mistakes, just like me. You were flawed, just like me. You fell sometimes just like me, you struggled, just like me. Momma you were human, just like me, and everyone else. What matters the most is how she picked up those pieces. Like Mozart composing a classical, you mastered the art of putting pieces back together.
In one of our last conversations, you told me you were not afraid to die. You said you fought a good fight. In that moment I realized just how strong you really were. I admire your ability to call it as you see it. I have been broken many times before, and you would look at my pieces and say, “yea you’re broken right now, but I’ll help you put your pieces back together again.” Those were the times that entailed life lessons that no school could ever teach. Those were the times, that my tears-stained pillows, and yet I knew it would be ok. Those were the times, you put me before yourself. Those were the times, that joy did come in the morning.
Momma, you were my best friend before I ever knew what a best friend was. Sure, we argued sometimes, and had disagreements, you know, like real friends. You weren’t afraid to speak your mind, and even know I might not agree, I respected that. You never judged me; you never made me feel like an outcast. You were never a stranger to anyone. Pieces, those are the pieces that created an admirable woman. I wish I could deconstruct your life in its entirety just to see how and when all your pieces came together.
I’m not talking about a puzzle. I’m talking about life and how you contributed to it. You once told me to never question God. Lives were lost, and we had nothing but the clothes on our backs and shoes on our feet. Still, your faith and strength didn’t waiver. When you were stripped of everything, I still saw you. I still saw how you didn’t shed tears. I saw how you smiled and laughed through the pain. I saw how you would put obstacles on your shoulders and carry them. My, my, my I love how you made picking up the pieces look easy.
As I move forward in life, I will try my best to preserve the picture you so elegantly built. I will try my best to pick up my own pieces. I will try my best to honor who you were and what that means to me. Everything feels like it is crumbling around me. But these pieces are mine to construct now, and I’m working on a masterpiece.
