When I look into the mirror every morning what do I see?

I see a woman with fond memories of childhood

Memories of growing up on a farm and doing farm chores

I see me playing with my brother and cousins

I see the things we did and the freedom my parents let us have

I see the eyes of my grandmother and her memories

I see the friends I have made and lost over the years

I see my years in school and all my classmates and the ones that moved away

I see fun times in school, the clay hill, the gym, the field trips

I see the teen years when your life starts making changes

I see the teenage heartbreak of first love a young heart won and lost

I see graduation night and the wonder of the unknown future ahead

I see the wonder of living in the city when I went to stay with my aunt

I see the problems of business school and a part time job

Riding through the streets on city buses at night when my work was over

I see the eyes of my husband the day we met

I see my family the day we married and left for Louisiana

I see the good first years of our marriage and the fun we had

I see the eyes of my first born when I first held her in my arms

I see her first smile, her first steps, her first day of school

Then my second child arrives with her smile and her wonder of the discovery of life

I see the plains of Kansas, the storm clouds that sometimes bring tornadoes

I see the places we traveled, the beauty and sometimes things not so pretty

I see us when we moved back to Georgia and decided to stay

I see our home take shape as we work on it sometimes late at night after our job

I see my husband change and start drinking more and more

I see alcohol take over his life and make it more important than family

Though I try not to let it happen I see my love die

Then after finding out he has cancer I see my husband die slowly

Then I see the bright glimmer of freedom for myself

I see my star get brighter as I regain my self esteem

I see me smiling more the lines of stress slowly fading

When I look these days I see a bright future ahead of me

My inner light shining brightly a glow of peace and joy in living