We lost her to colon cancer 25 years ago today. After the choke hold, I mean hug, featured above, I grew up witnessing the most beautiful mother-daughter relationship I could imagine. Dawn and Mom truly brought out the best in each other. Dawn wrote this poem, which she shared with Mom before Mom died, and which the Rabbi recited at Mom's funeral. Thank you, Dawn, for sharing this very personal, warmhearted letter with me and the blogosphere.
Thank YOU for reading this. I suggest you grab a Kleenex. But I promise it's worth the read.
Dear Mom,
How Can I Thank you For Being There?
For delicately showing me your capacity to care
about touches and warmth and sincerity and love
about waterfalls and roses and quiet rainbows above?
How Can I Thank you For Teaching Me
That anything can be conquered, that with humility I too, can be a mother and a lawyer and a wife and a daughter's friend, a cherished friend, a friend for life.
Mom, you're as Rare as Your Smile and Warm Blue Eyes..
So clear and soft as the blues of the skies
which have so often lifted me, lifted me high
to snow capped mountains graced with your sunshine
where I'm able to appreciate the life you've helped make mine.
Thanks For Being Up There With Me.
Love You Always,
Dawn (January, 1985)
Thank you Robyn.
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xx
beautiful...
ReplyDeletehugs
Thinking of you today. A beautiful tribute!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written tribute.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this.
What a beautiful poem - thank you for sharing on this day.
ReplyDeletebeautiful and very touching...
ReplyDeleteGod bless you both.
ReplyDeleteYour sis is an amazing poet as well. Very emotional. Again, my condolences. So sorry. :(
ReplyDeleteDawn and your mother appear to be twins.
ReplyDeleteYou have rewarding memories of her. Not everyone can say that about their family members. You have much to be thankful for in that alone.
Thanks for sharing.
Blase, true. We've been lost in painful memories, though. (It's weird how grief works. We tend to see the dead as either saintly or bad.)It feels healing to focus on mom's beautifulness. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks CB. I forgot to say that Dawn was just a teen (she was 19, I was 18) when she wrote this - 2 mos. before mom died.
Blessings and gratitude back to all of you: Tina, IS, DDG, Pat, Ms. A., BB, and PCDee.
I means a lot to put these very personal, dark pieces out there and receive such a sweet response. It really helps! Dawn is grateful as well. xoRobyn
What a beautiful poem. What an incredible human being. Thinking of you on her yarzheit
ReplyDeleteThat'S really beautiful..Thanks for sharing this, Robyn
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this Robyn! I'll admit, I teared up....
ReplyDeleteRobyn, my heart aches for you. I can't imagine the day I lose my mom. Selfish that I am, I always hope I somehow go first so I don't have to deal with the heartache of losing my best friend.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to have been cheated, losing her way too early. Thank you for sharing that with your readers. My eyes are tearing as I type this.
How beautifully sad.
Very beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing :)
Thank you Ally, ABAO, Sarah, little bird, and Lisa Marie. We were cheated, for sure. There's no relationship like one's relationship with their mom.
ReplyDeletexoRobyn
Truly beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing. Why are always the special ones taken from us too young. Breaks my heart. Thanks Robyn.
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Very nice post, well written, and thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful post and wonderful tribute.
ReplyDeleteThank you Anthony. I'm so glad for a new friend here too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ian. Shavuah Tov.
Eriks, great to have you stop by, and I appreciate your sentiment too.
xoRobyn
This is amazing. I hope your sister continued to write!
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