By: Kimberly Potter Kendrick

Standing in the doorway with tears streaming down her face, lashing out pain, frustration, helplessness

Choking back tears listening to her daughter’s words, observing how beautiful she is, long hair shimmering in the sunlight

The sparkle long gone from the her daughter’s eyes
As months passed the extroverted young woman drew into a shell
Observing the change equally painful the mother
She questioned, she observed, her daughter denied any transformation

Kind, gentle words exchanged for bitter ones, lashing out at the people who loved her
The daughter believes no one understands, no one hears her pleas
“Help me. No, don’t,” battling to regain her independence

The mother’s heart breaks seeing her daughter’s distress, silently she reminisced standing in the same place years ago at her own parents’ home
Overwhelmed, feeling alone, one step forward, two backwards, not getting ahead, not keeping up, overwhelmed, dejected

No words ease her daughter’s pain
Incapable of comforting her grown child’s hurt, the mother’s distraught
No longer kisses on a scrap make everything okay
The daughter pulls away keeping her mother at a distance
Never once considering the times her mother struggled too
Advice rejected, suggestions misunderstood
Her mother sits holding her throbbing head, this she cannot fix

The mother prays for guidance, she prays for her daughter’s heart and mind to heal, she prays for peace for each them, she prays for restoration of her daughter’s joyful soul