January 8, 2007

By David R. Penepent

 

Your gentle guidance has immeasurably influenced

all that I have done, all that I do, and all that I will ever do.

Your sweet spirit is indelibly imprinted on

all that I have been, all that I am and all that I will ever be.

Thus, you are part of all that I accomplish and all that I become.

And so, it is that when I help my neighbor,

your helping hand is there also.

When I comfort the bereaved,

your compassionate love is my tool for healing.

When I ease the pain of a friend,

they owe a debt to you.

When I show a child a better way,

either by word or by example,

you are the teacher once removed.

Because everything I do reflects values learned from you;

any wrong that I right,

any heart I may brighten,

any gift that I share or burden I may lighten,

 is in its own small way a tribute to you.

I Love You Mom and

Thank You for giving me the Gift of Life.

Your Son,

David

 

Presented to my mother Mother’s Day 2002;

the last real gift that meant something to me forever.

David R. Penepent

 

ninetyandnine.com

© 2007, David Penepent

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David Penepent is a licensed funeral director/manager at the Herson Funeral Home in Ithaca, New York. Currently, he is working on his doctorate in Organizational Management and a book that he plans to release next summer entitled, Dysfunctional Grief: A Personal Journey.
 
I was inspired to write this poem shortly before my mother died because I wanted to put down on paper all my thoughts and feelings about how her life has impacted mine.