My Mother Taught Me...

...a million things
more than I could ever actually quantify

...things important and mundane,
quick to realize and slow to rectify.

She taught me...
...how to clean a bathroom
and make a bed.
...that the kitchen isn't clean unless the floor is swept
and the counter cleansed.

She taught me...
...how to present a gift
and not just wrap it;
and that I should never go to the bathroom a lone.

She taught me...
...how to know when to just
step away.
...and how good it feels
to make someone's day.

She taught me...
...hospitality,
and common courtesy,
and how to clean up after myself.

She taught me...
...the beauty of surprises
and how to care for a child.
...and what it feels like to always have somewhere
to come home from the wild.

She taught me...
...how to care,
and to share,
and to put my fists away.

She taught me...
...how to love,
unconditionally.
...and how to show it,
actively.

She taught me...
...a million things
more than I could ever quantify.

...things important and mundane,
quick to realize and slow to rectify.

She taught me...
...how to love,
unbounded.
...and what it feels like to always have a home
to keep me grounded.