I know Mother's Days tributes are normally bright and flowery... But that is not the reality for many... I know this may bother some... but it is meant to show that a mother's love is very powerful.. even in a harsh reality. Mom Right from the start you gave us everything. Too much... sacrificed all you ever had or hoped to have No woman should have suffered through what you did. The loss of your teeth and bone density in your teens because of pregnancies stripping the calcium from your system The end of your budding modelling career The end of any dreams... You made mistakes as any child would... Yes.. you were a child when you became a mother.. too young. But you didn't give us away... you loved us from the start. Some might say things might have been better for you and your children if you had... But we wouldn't be who we are if you had done so. Perhaps we would have had better and more productive lives... but that is no guarantee... I was raped in one of the foster homes I did go to.. at least you did your best to protect us from things like that at home. I remember the beatings you took to defend us from your violent husbands. The long walks you took us on.. children in the buggy and around your feet Running from the drunk that was supposed to be protecting us. I remember the walls being bare because everything always got destroyed. I remember you not eating for days on end to make sure we were fed. And hearing you cry at night in hopeless despair. And the babies you lost or those that didn't make it home from hospital So many... What pain to endure... I cannot imagine it, nor do I want to know. Or worse.. those that died as adults... bad enough losing siblings.. cannot compare to the loss of one's children. And we were no help either.. Trouble with the law Drugs Runaways Some of us made it through... some did not. Through it all, you never gave up though.. Through the years and the tears you gave your best. And never stopped loving us.. I know I don't always show my appreciation. And I find it hard to show emotion sometimes. I just hope you know I love you.