I am my mother's daughter

I am my mother's daughter

I am my daughter's mom

When I hear my daughter laugh

The tinkling of bells

The fairies dancing

I think of my grandmothers

Their warm, soft love was all I felt

But now a mother myself

I see it clearly, a lifting of that veil

Their love

A cozy blanket covering the ferocity beneath

Generations of mothers and daughters

A lineage I now inherit

An unspoken vow to nurture and defend

In equal measure

A natural knowing

That this family is now mine

Not to keep, but to protect

There's a place that exists

Somewhere on the ocean

Where we are all together

A long line of warrior women

The air is salty, warm yet crisp

The sky as clear as our purpose

As we gaze lovingly over the waves

Hands firmly at our hips

Or outstretched for an embrace

I go there often

To refuel my strength

There's honor in it, and pride

This calling that you can't deny

Life's most important work

It's hard to be so soft

But the joy... it overwhelms you

I am my mother's daughter

My daughter calls me mom.