I wrote the following poem as a thank you note to my mother. She’s an amazing lady and continues to inspire.

A Shiny Chain

This one who chose to give us life
Now sits with quiet kind eyes.
She wishes for strength
To serve others as in her past
Unaware that her gentle presence
Now serves all who stand within her gaze.

Surrounded by friends and borrowed flowers
She and my young father were married.
They shared their vows as he left for war
Loving through letters and cold nights apart.
Upon his return, they had a son and daughter
And then they did the most remarkable thing!

In a world filled with dread and strife
They did right things again and again
Making of their lives a shiny chain,
Each link tempered in courage and goodness.

Many have touched this lengthy chain
And felt its strength of love and promise.
These links connect us all to their love’s beginning
Sharing sweet stories polished smooth from our remembering.