by Sharon Kurtzman

It is not a mother’s place to

turn her children into firemen,

make them dance like Pavlova,

play sports like Kobe Bryant

perform in the way of Meryl Streep or Beyonce.

 

It is not a mother’s place to

dry every tear,

right every wrong,

change every bad grade,

add their sums or write their college essays.

 

It is not a mother’s place to

choose every single person in their lives,

change them from left-handed to right,

or pick who they love.

 

However, it is a mother’s place to

let her children discover a belly laugh,

confront a nasty comment on the playground,

and find their strength after not finishing first or even making the team.

 

It is a mother’s place to

teach her children to find the owner of a lost wallet,

show them the beauty in a budding flower, or the taste of snow,

and acquaint them with Brontës and Rowling, Newton and Einstein, Monet and Warhol, Beethoven and The Beatles.

 

It is a mother’s place to

encourage them to find their passion and wander their heart into each vein, valve, and aorta.

Because when children discover their heart, they will know who they are.