Today is Emma’s birthday which is always a day of reflection for me. Caleb’s birthday invites reflection too, but differently. The mother-daughter relationship is special, sometimes special-hard, sometimes special-good, but always unique, layered, offering the mother a mirror to search for understanding. Emma, has been a good mirror for me and celebrating today I am deeply grateful to God for the gift she is to me.

Daughter

I enjoy your company
your cheek presses
the clutch of your hand
on a walk
the way we talk - without words
and fight -- without loss of love.

You are my daughter
because
molecular strands
secret thoughts
emotional freedoms
entwine together... into a rope
that lovingly pulls us, changes us
but grounds me -- because

I'm still becoming
your mother. 

© Laurel Archer 2025