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Greeting, all. I had sent this to some of my family members, and it occurred
to me that some of you might like it (since many of you put up with my
whimpering when my mom's 70th birthday rolled by, you might as well get
something back for it). This is not the best thing I've ever written, nor
even the best thing I've written about her, but the emotion is right.
<p>--Amanda
<p>-------- Original Message --------
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<th ALIGN=RIGHT VALIGN=BASELINE NOWRAP>Subject:</th>
<td>Mother's Day</td>
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<th ALIGN=RIGHT VALIGN=BASELINE NOWRAP>Date:</th>
<td>Thu, 10 May 2001 21:19:39 -0500</td>
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<th ALIGN=RIGHT VALIGN=BASELINE NOWRAP>From:</th>
<td>Amanda Lewanski <editor@texas.net></td>
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<th ALIGN=RIGHT VALIGN=BASELINE NOWRAP>To:</th>
<td></td>
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<p>Happy Mother's Day. I was feeling down, as usual, at the looming of
a day I cannot celebrate save to lift a glass or lay a rose, and this old
poem came back to me. So I'm spreading it around in case it might lift
the spirits of those whose mothers are gone, or let those whose mothers
are with them realize anew how lucky they are.
<br>
<p>(untitled)
<p>If you had not always been there,
<br> it might have been too late;
<br>When suddenly I had to find you would not be there any more,
<br>If you had not been there before,
<br> it might have been too late.
<p>Too late to sneak up from behind to hug you at the sink,
<br>Or bring you little love-gifts so that I could see you smile;
<br>Too late to wash the dishes for you after you had gone to bed
<br>Or visit on an impulse just to see you for a while;
<br>It could have been too late to know your joy in sharing things with
me,
<br>Too late to say how much I loved to share you with my friends,
<br>Too late for me to just enjoy the love your laughter brought to me;
<br>Too late to do a thousand things I'd love to do again.
<p>So from far too far away, I thank you that you loved me so,
<br>Strong enough to be my friend, unafraid to let me grow;
<br>Thank you that you lived and died, thank you I was born to you;
<br>Lastly, thank you from my heart that somewhere in your soul you knew
<br>That I would need those years of smiles and friendship to recall,
<br> Because if you had not been there before
<br><i> it might have been
too late.</i>
<br>
<p>Amanda Lewanski
<br>1988
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