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It's amazing when you realize that your mother has become one of your best friends.

Circle of Life
Mendy Thompson
April 26, 2007

Mothers and daughters
So alike, and yet so different
We dream when we are small
Of growing up to be just like her
We emulate her, we watch her every move

When we are babies
We need her completely
When we are tots
We dress in her clothes
And pretend to be her

And then when we are teens, we dream
Of growing up without a trace
Of the lady who bore us
Why on earth would we want to be like her?
She is annoying, bossy, she wants to rule our lives

In our infinite teenage wisdom
She is the stupidest person
On the face of this earth
How could I have come from this woman?
She is an embarrassment without end

And then we are in our twenties;
We start to listen to her just a little bit
She helps us plan our wedding
We call her on the phone to get her recipes
For chili, spaghetti sauce, meat loaf, noodles

She is there when the baby is born
She tells us about colic and what to do about it
She shows us how to hold her, how to burp her
How to put her on her tummy in the crib
How to calm an uncontrollable cry

In our thirties, we start to believe that she may have
A little bit of sense!
She still embarrasses us sometimes
But more often than not
She spews out words of wisdom…how can this be?

When in our forties
She is there on the other end of the cell phone
During our long drive home
She is company, she is a friend
We talk about all kinds of things

When in our fifties
She is getting more feeble by the month
She says it hurts to bend, to walk, to lie down
Her mind is still sharp as a tack
Her body is failing her

Over the years we realize
That this woman who brought us into this world
Was the one that God chose for us
It was all in The Plan before
We were a twinkle in anyone’s eye

Over the years, she has been:
Our nanny, babysitter, guidance counselor, psychologist
Secretary, masseuse, hairdresser, maid, dietician, cook
Seamstress, chauffer, teacher, tutor, cheerleader, tour guide, nurse
Loan officer, financial counselor, religious advisor, warden
Our biggest fan…the wind beneath our wings

She would do anything for her children
She prays for them all
She wants the best for each of them
Her goal in life was to make sure
Each grew up happy and healthy

And as she lies in her bed at night, she drifts off to sleep
And in her dreams, she is young and beautiful
And she is holding a newborn baby; she is counting its fingers and toes
And she is talking to her mother and asking for advice
And she smiles at the thought of a baby to bring up