mommy love

Today,
when she was telling me
how hard things are,
I just listened
and listened some more
with my ears
and my heart.

I was quiet.

Then I told her,
“I hear you.
This is hard.
I love you.
I just love you
so much.”

And she was quiet.

Then she cried.

And something
deep inside me
opened
then healed.

Later, she told me
she wished
she had been there for me
when I was a teenager–
she wished she could change that.

I said,
“No need to change it.
We have now.
We have
this moment.”

And we do.

We all do.

I love you, Mom.