by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

A Message to My Children

My three children: Ellen Maher, Joseph Batavia, Katey Batavia, and Joe’s dog BABY.

A Message to My Children

To my oldest daughter,

Before you existed, I wanted you.

You were conceived in love;

The next morning, I sensed your presence.

Before you were born, I loved you.

When I felt you move, I was overjoyed.

As your father placed his hand on my belly

and felt you move, I knew we were a family.

Hearing your first cry, I cried tears of joy.

You were named for my beloved Grandma.

As I nursed you,

I wished you a long and happy life.

When you gripped my finger in your tiny fingers,

I was filled with wonder.

Watching you first begin to crawl,

I knew I would have killed to protect you!

Your first word was not “Mama” or “Dada;”

You looked me straight in the eye and said, “Hi!”

Oh, the delight of that first conversation!

For a while after that, you mostly listened.

People wondered why you were so quiet…

Then everyone was amazed to hear you

suddenly speaking in complete sentences.

As you took your first steps,

I was proud of your growing independence.

With every little illness, every accident,

I felt your pain.

When you went off to kindergarten,

I had high hopes for your future.

As you grew, your every milestone

filled me with pride.

As you made a life of your own,

I watched with admiration!

To my adopted son and daughter,

though you were never in my body,

I always loved you, just the same.

You were often in my arms,

and always in my heart.

I loved you before I met you,

and I have loved you every moment since.

Your father loved you deeply

for the rest of his days.

As I have watched you grow,

your struggles have been mine.

Your every accomplishment

has earned my admiration.

Your wishes for the future

have always been my wishes for you.

Your kindness and empathy,

your courage and determination

fill me with pride.

To my three children,

Thank you for loving me.

Know that I am grateful to be your mother;

You mean the world to me!

I will always love you equally,

always be proud of you, always hope for you.

I will be cheering you on

with my final breath!

Copyright© 2023 by Cheryl Batavia

Happy Mother’s Day to Mothers Everywhere!

We celebrate our mothers. ❤

We honor the memories of our mothers. ❤

Photo by Waldemar from Unsplash.

91 Comments

  3. “When I felt you move, I was overjoyed” — the best line a mother can speak to her child.
    I enjoyed reading this poem, and going throughout the emotions.
    Thank you for sharing, Cheryl.❤️❤️❤️

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    1. What a lovely response, Lokesh. ❤ I am delighted that you enjoyed reading about my experiences as a mother. Someday you may write about your experiences as a father. Hope I get a chance to read it! 🙂 Have a wonderful week! ❤ ❤ ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, Punam! It is wonderful to know that as a mother, you could feel the emotions in the poem. Thank you for letting me know that. ❤ ❤ ❤

      Wishing you and your family a joyous Mother's Day celebration! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. Happy Mother’s Day Cheryl! Your children are so blessed to have you as such a supportive loving mother … just as you are blessed to have three such special gifts in your life 🙂

    This poem brought tears to my eyes, as I rejoice in all those who know/knew such loving kind mothers 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. Kate, Thank you so much for your kind words. ❤ Yes, I feel very blessed to have my children. I thought about this again today. It was worth all of the heartaches and challenges we faced. I have made peace with all of the experiences of my life.

      Wishing you a beautiful week! ❤ ❤ ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  13. Your glorious poem had me crying Cheryl … have a joyous Mothers Day … 💕🤗🌏
    “Mothers (a Tanka)”

    Happy Mothers Day
    The queens of my universe
    Your stars light my sky
    Every day and every night
    On my bended knees, I stay

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  15. What a beautiful poem on this special day for you, Cheryl! I love your touching words and deep reflections about your experiences of motherhood. This can be shared by a mother only. Enjoy the day with your beautiful family. Happy Mother’s Day 🎉💐❤️

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Haha! That is an unusual, but logical first word! Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Cindy! I am delighted that you found the poem relatable!

      What an exciting time for you! Like everyone in the known universe, I look forward to reading your book! Take care of yourself! ❤ ❤ ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  29. What a beautiful expression of unadulterated love and affection of a mother, Cheryl!! Liked the poem very much. Happy belated mother’s day to you. I think each and every day is a mother’s day because a mother child bonding is truely cherished by one and all.💕 Many warm regards to you. 🥰❤❤

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you for your beautiful response, Mousumi! It means a great deal to me! ❤ I hope you had a very wonderful Mother's Day.

      You must be near the end of the school year. Congratulations on your successful year of teaching. All I can say is that your students are lucky to have you as their teacher! ❤ All the best! 🙂 ❤ 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Thanks a ton Cheryl! It’s really amazing that you have remembered the exact timing of my joining school!! It’s so gratifying 🥰.
        I have completed my one year of teaching this April. In the last one year I have amassed so much experiences, it will take many posts to tell you.
        I don’t know how, but all the 45 students of my erstwhile class have become my children, I can tell the invidual traits of each of them.

        After the start of the new session, as they have promoted and got another class teacher, they just couldn’t accept it. They all run to me and plead me to become their teacher again!
        The bonding seems reciprocal. We dearly miss other.
        All those grueling task of a teacher seems worth it !
        I also feel privileged to have a friend like you who really cares. I value it very much.
        My summer vacations have started, hopefully I could come up with some of the posts.
        Sending you my love and affection 💓 Wish you a healthy and happy life with your family and friends ❤️ 💕 💗

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Thank you, Mousumi! Your kind comments made my day! ❤

      Teaching is not an easy job. I can't imagine a class of 45 students. I think the most I ever had was 33! 🙂 I am not at all surprised that your students love you! ❤ I also loved and enjoyed my students, and found teaching a fulfilling profession.

      There are moments I will always remember from my years of teaching like the day my whole class rushed up and gave me a group hug. I got an invitation from one student I had taught in fourth grade to attend his high school graduation. I taught one class in 2nd grade and again in fourth/fifth grade. Several of them came up to me and told me how happy they were to have me as their teacher for a second time.

      Maybe you would enjoy reading my post, "Stories from a Retired Teacher." If you are interested, it is on the menu of my website, to the left on a laptop, and at the top on a smartphone, I think.

      Enjoy your summer, Mousumi! Rest and refresh yourself. I wish you many more happy years of teaching and much love from your students. It is my pleasure to call you my friend! ❤ ❤ ❤

      Like

      Reply

      1. This lovely interactions with a dear friend far away is certainly the best part of WordPress, Cheryl. I would love to read your post, “Stories from a Retired Teacher”. Your endearing personality and affectionate nature must have been a boon to your students. The children have the capacity to perceive the genuineness of the emotions expressed and reciprocate accordingly. It’s no surprise that you were so liked by your students.
        I’m going to read it very soon. Thanks a lot for your kind wishes. It’s indeed my good fortune to know you as my friend. Sending you my love and lots of goodwishes. ❤❤❤

        Liked by 1 person

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