Mama, I was watching you today. 

You may not have noticed because my gaze wasn’t obvious and the day kept you busy, but, Mama, I saw it all.

I saw the tired in your eyes when you rolled out of bed.

I saw you sliding your glasses on and pulling your hair back—your around the house uniform.

I saw your frustration over the mess of bowls and Cocoa Puffs still cluttering the table.

I saw you pushing the trash down, determined to squeeze just a little bit more into the bag.

I saw you bouncing back and forth between the kitchen and the laundry, folding clothes between each batch of dishes.

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I saw you fixing lunch. We complained that you were taking too long. We grumbled because we didn’t like the food.

I saw you sweeping the floor. We ran through and wrecked your pile.

I saw you go into the bathroom to take a shower. We interrupted you half a dozen times.

I saw you wringing your hands. I saw you squeezing your eyes closed.

I saw you stealing a snack, and vacuuming the carpet, and feeding the dog.

I saw you scrubbing a stain off the couch.

I saw when you were happy. I saw when you were likely to burst.

I saw you cleaning up after dinner. I saw as you finally collapsed onto the couch under a blanket. 

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I saw you when you didn’t think anybody else in the world was watching. 

I saw it all, Mama. I see it every day. 

And though I may be too little to appreciate it just yet, a day will come when I’ll finally understand.

And I just hope you never doubted for a second, Mama, you’ve always been my hero.

Originally published on the author’s Facebook page