I Don’t Need the Flowers Anymore
But thank you for thinking of me
I remember the day you were born, with your wrinkled skin and not-so-chubby cheeks. I remember when they laid you in my arms and I breathed in the scent of you.
Never had I felt a love so strong, so complete, so all-encompassing as I did in that moment.
You filled a hole in me that I didn’t even know was empty.
Over the next year, you grew so fast it made me dizzy, and I reveled in every moment. Watching you learn how to make all four limbs team up to crawl for the first time, the unsteady first steps, the sleeping through the night … finally.
And then you were running everywhere you went, your chubby little legs pumping so fast it was hard to keep up. Still, my heart was full, overflowing with love for you.
Then you started school, and leaving you there, tears running down your face, was the hardest thing I ever had to do. My heart was in pieces all day long, worrying about you, counting the moments till I could see you again and hear how your day had gone.
Soon, you were a preteen, wailing about acne and weight gain and how your legs weren’t as long as the other girls’. Boys were a fascination and a hobby that never grew old, no matter how many hours you and your posse giggled and…
