Today I honour a woman

Today is the day 

I honour a woman

A woman who helped to change my life 

Today is the day she was born

The day she opened her eyes 

And her heart to this world

The day she began her journey of wisdom

Kindness and compassion

The day she began her walk to her place of employment

And waited many years for me to come

The day she was born never to physically become a mother

But the day she pledged she would mother me

So she could mother me when no one else did

She waited for me to walk into the office

Where she worked some 34 years ago

And when I did

She knew right away

I knew right away

There was something between us that cannot be described

Cannot be explained in any sense that could be understood

Except that we knew

We knew we would always be together

Striking a bond that would not be broken

By either time

Distance

Or trial

She saw through my hard exterior

Reached through it

And embraced

The frightened little girl

Whose heart had been broken

Life turned upside down

Saw that she had no clue about life

No understanding about the human spirit

No trust in the journey called life

And took me under her wing

Opened her arms wide 

And embraced me

Taking me in fully and totally

After she looked in my eyes 

And saw something

Something I didn’t even know existed in me

Took me into her heart

And led me out of my darkness

So I could begin my journey

My journey to the light

To help me to be the woman I am today

Today I celebrate this woman

With love, light and gratitude

This woman who helped to grow me

In ways I didn’t know I could even be grown

Taught me the importance of impression

How to dress

How to speak to people

How to look people in the eye

How to ask for what I wanted

How to navigate through the world of business

She looked out for me

Guided me as much as she could

During the summer of 1980

The summer when I did not know

Where I was going

Or what I was going to do

The summer I had graduated from high school

With no plan

When I learned people actually planned for tomorrow

When I discovered I had no direction for the future

When I discovered I had no idea who I was

Or what I was going to do

That life was not going to land in my lap

That I had to reach for it

And work hard

And she saw something in me

Felt something about me

And put aside judgment about what had happened in my life

Put aside talk about my lack of support

And filled my head with purpose

With dreams

With goals

And set me on my way to be

Much more than I ever dreamed I could be

Even though deep down inside

I always knew there was a world across the ocean

Across the ocean I used to stand on its shores

And think about what those people across it did

The ocean I knew I would cross many times over

But never knew how

She helped me to see

I was just as good

As they were

And just as deserving

So today I celebrate this woman

Who came into my life

Some 34 years ago

Who waited for me to show up

And she showed up for me

And who selflessly and tirelessly remains with me

Sometimes with me all the time

Other times intermittently

Never demanding

Never pressuring

Never judging

But always there when I need her

Always there when I call upon her

Still without judgment

Still without talk

Just there to help me to balance me and my life

It was this woman that opened my eyes

To compassion

To supporting others

To know no woman or man is an Island

We all need help

And when we get

We have to give

When we learn

We have to teach

To be there as a mentor and sponsor for others

Because without her

I would not be as open and as learned as I am today

So today I honour her

By wishing my angel

My rock

My confidante

The woman who mothered me

When I needed to be mothered the most

And still mothers me when I need it the most

Today I speak her name with honour

With the utmost love and respect

Catherine Lord

Thanks for always being there

When I need direction

When I need balancing

When I need someone to just be there

Be there for me

As you always are

May this day be as special to you

As you are to me

Happy Birthday Cathy

Happy Birthday to you

So blessed to know

You waited

Waited just for me