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The Journal of Maureen Glaude

Never Assume They Know
01/22/2006 12:11 a.m.
There's nothing new about the fact that often we do not show as overtly as we might think we do, how deeply we feel about someone's struggles or accomplishments, or even just how we feel about them. Even poets and writers sometimes miss out on being understood or heard as saying the things that need to be acknowledged, and received, by their loved ones.

Sometimes, for example, we think that physical effort, hours of our time, miles driving, etc. allocated to helping out, demonstrate the extents of our love and support to ample degree without us announcing our praise and pride in the person we're helping, throughout an ordeal. Although the realization at first stung and hurt me, the interpretation of a lacking, (and I did in fact recall proclaiming my pride in the person), after I thought it over for a short while I knew that since there was a perceived omission, the only thing I could do to fix this was to make my pride in her overt, in writing.

This poem resulted from the recent life lesson for me in that regard.

Since then, I have made the point, even today, of telling another loved one we've been helping, as she endures a courage-testing crisis, that we're very proud of her. She seemed to perk up and really be thrilled to hear this, and so it's a lesson well-learned, that these types of statements can never be said too often or taken for granted too easily, as understood.

My family personal poem here, for my sister, really spoke to her and she in turn is proud of it, and said she'd like me to share it. I think it's probably more suited to Journals for now, as I'm sure it's not yet a poem in the public sense. But because it may be a universal theme, I decided to post it here.

I put the text on some lovely creamy roses background printer paper before mailing it to her last week. After it arrived at her home and she'd read it, she told me she cried and plans to keep it forever.

If
for Marilyn

If there were ever any doubt...
of my admiration
for your resilience
facing personal trials and surgeries
let this page be a record
of some humble measure
of my praise.

If there were ever any doubt...
of my awe for your courage
when enduring injustices, bad fortune
physical duress, transformations
and loneliness through days and nights
of solitude far too excessive and untimely —
for one person,
let these words portray the resounding echo
I’ve always felt emerging from me
for your pain
and not only from me
but from all the rest of us.

I hope you see us when we reach out
to serve as leaning posts to you,
just as you’ve always done for us.

I hope you hear us when we protest
the unfairness of your losses
but also when we echo your spirit
of getting on...rising above...knowing
you and we won’t easily
find answers to the whys...

I trust you also hear us when we rejoice
in your new blessings as they come.

Often it’s the laughter from your
incredible sense of humour
and the determination of belief
we hear in you, that reinforces us
to march along at your side;
lifts us all back up together
for together is the only way
survival works, or at least,
the warmest and most worthwhile, isn’t it?

Sometimes it might be shared tears, or
expressions of shock, that draws us to your side,
but never can any of us rise in grace
to give unconditionally to one another
in such stressful years as these,
without the faith, spirituality, love and
hope of our mutual foundation.

After all your tests and grief
dealt with right before our eyes,
if somehow there were ever any question
that I, your devoted sister, and your entire family
commend and congratulate you –
as you grow through it all, leaving us inspired
by your strength and wisdom,
your constant will to try again,
cooperating with all your doctor’s demands,
then now we shout it out with
our merely human voices,

and we promise our devoted support
to you, unconditionally and forever

- All our love, Maureen and family

I am currently Creative

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