i want my mom to feel safe
i want her to feel warm, loved, and held
i want my mom to slow down for once,
so she can finally be free of worry
i want her to stop believing she’s the one person holding it all together
nobody can shoulder that burden
not even my mom
this incredible woman who leapt across the globe for the mere chance at a better future,
yet can’t stomach the thought of her son facing any sort of danger in his life
a worrying warrior who’s given everything to those around her for so long,
that she hardly knows how to give that love to herself
i want my mom to love her own life as much as she loves me
i want her to pursue her deepest desires with the same intensity she’s always fought for me with
for her to see her existence as a blessing, not a burden
i want to do everything in my power to help her relish her life
what better role for a son to play
than to help his mother enjoy the fruits of a lifetime’s worth of noble labor
and restore the love of life she felt as a child
to have her embrace that inner child
to tell her,
i’m sorry, love
i’m sorry for the burdens this world placed on you when you were so young
but we’re safe now
i’m here for you, dear
and we have everything we need to live the life we’ve always dreamed of
i want her to hold my kids, and my grandkids
i want them to feel this love from her,
with the soft, wise playfulness that age tends to bring
and when her time comes,
i want her to look back fondly on a life well lived,
feeling absolutely zero regrets
i want to have honored her care and sacrifice in every step i took
to live out the dreams she came to this country for,
and make the most of this life she’s given me
when all is said and done,
that’s all i really want
this is absolutely gorgeous