Mother

I always saw you smiling at me.
No matter the problem,
Whatever I did
You never stopped smiling at me
And it was always the same.

Through the thick
And into the absurd notions
That I came up with
You always nodded and smiled,
"That sounds good, go for it!"

"Go for it!"
A motto I tried to live when failure
Was all I could see.
Though it was your smile that got me through.

A child, a heart
When the table cloth was in flames
You checked to see if I was alright
Then hugged me and smiled.
"That's good."

You could be harsh when it was needed
But you were good to me
And never once could I fail you
Even when I tried
I could always count on you
Especially when it mattered.

Mother,
I think no less of you
Because each day I walk a little farther,
Just so I can impress you more.