This morning I will attend the fourth (& last) Mother/Son Mass and Breakfast with my oldest son. Events like this are the reason we send our boys to Mount Saint Joseph (although, my youngest and his MSJ water polo teammates are undefeated so far playing at the Eastern Prep tournament right now; these too are the experiences we are glad they have).

At the first Mass & Breakfast we attended, I was surprised to hear the poem, “When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking” read at the end of Mass. This poem, originally labeled “Anonymous” in the book Chicken Soup for the Soul, was actually written by an amazing woman who has become a special friend, Mary Rita Schilke Sill. In fact, Mary was the first person who invited me to speak after my book came out. Her belief in sharing my story, helped me believe it was a story worth sharing. Thank you Mary!
(For more on Mary’s story and her poem: https://www.whenyouthoughtiwasntlooking.com/ )

As I attend the Mass & Breakfast this morning, I will smile when Mary’s poem is read, grateful that she – and her poem – hold such a special place in my heart. And I will think of my own mother, who holds her own special place in my heart. Once again, Mary has inspired me to pen my own words, based on hers, for my mom:

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
You burnt a quesadilla, and I knew that I didn’t have to be a good cook to be a good mom

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
You insisted dad coach my softball team, and not just my brother’s baseball team, and I knew girls’ sports mattered as much as boys’

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
You drove us to California each summer, and I knew it was important to visit family

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
You took us to church when no one wanted to go, and I knew it was important to pray

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
You cared for your staff and teachers, and I learned that sometimes family includes those we aren’t actually related to

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
You followed a nurse out of ICU, and I knew you believed in me no matter what

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
You bought me stationary (every year), and I learned the value of a handwritten note

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw you tending to your rose bushes, and I knew a daughter’s love for her mother never ends

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked, and I wanted to thank you for all the things you did when you thought I wasn’t looking.