She Is From
She is from maternal love, strong enough to develop her nurturing spirit...and her backbone of steel.
She is from parents who survived the depression, and WWII
She is from the greatest generation
She is from the chaos of a household with five children and working parents
She is from hugs, humor and lots of horseplay
She is from a father who was a sailor who ran a tight ship, who later became a police officer
She is from a man who taught her a strong work ethic
She is from several generations living along the northern California coast
She is from a rich history and love for her hometown
She is from a mother who was a “Momma Bear”, protecting her children
While preparing them for the wild world
She is from maternal love
Strong enough to develop her nurturing spirit
And her backbone of steel
She is from a battle zone
Where parents who mixed alcohol and stress,
Could only fight their way through the problems of poverty and adultery
She is from a family where forgiveness was essential to survival
Even if forgetting was impossible
She is from a family where mom took pills to calm her down
And there were too many reasons to need them
She is from a family where she learned substance abuse was a way to handle everyday stress
And subsequently learned how much strength she possessed
To overcome her own addictions
She is from a family where secrets were rampant
And were to be kept from other family members, doctors and teachers
She is from a family where she was determined to break that cycle, and live with the truth
And teach her own children honesty, by example
She is from a Grandmother and Aunt, full of unconditional love
She is from family members who taught her to express love, unconditionally
And a husband and loving mother-in-law
Who provided safety for her to flourish
She is from a family of conflicting messages
She is from choices she now makes
To break the cycle of dysfunction
Poignant and beautiful. Thanks Sharon.
That is the anthem of many of us, growing up with the mixed message of parents doing their best to cope with their own abilities falling short of others' expectations. A powerful poem. Thank you.