You are no longer here

But I saw you this morning

For a brief moment

The twinkle in your blue eye

The smile on your kind face

The fire in your spirit

The courage in your mind and heart

Just a tiny glimpse

The warmth of your hug

Has diminished with time

Worn to a simple, faded memory

The sound of your voice

I can hear on the rare occasion

Only with my eyes closed tightly, concentrating

Just a tiny whisper

You taught me how to practice courage

You showed me it is practiced in the everyday as much as the milestone moments

You believed courage was both a roar and a whisper

You knew courage was beautifully fierce and fragile

It was your courage in practice that brought me here

It was your courage in practice that kept me here

Your practice became your ally, your confidante, your teacher

And it was your courage in practice that walked you quietly home

Many a Mother's Day has passed

Since I made breakfast with you

Each year just not quite the same

That reality simply changes things, doesn't it?

But today I saw you

Just for a passing moment

Your goodness, beauty, pain, and joy

In the mirror as I washed my face

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt from 'The Little Things That Remind Me I'll Be Okay' by Tonyalynne Wildhaber.