Scarred Hands

Her hands that were once so warm and soft

have turned cold and hard.

Her skin that was once so tender

has turned dry and cracked.

Her long, slim fingers that were decorated with shiny rings

and her nails that were always polished are now plain and dull.

No jewelry, no polish, nothing.

They don’t look the same, but I will never forget

the loving hands of my mother.

Behind the smile that greeted me everyday

was a tired mother who overworked herself

to give her daughter everything she couldn’t have.

Behind those cracked and scarred hands

was a mother who hid the pain within

so that her daughter wouldn't worry.

I assumed that scars represented pain

but the scars on my mother's hands reveal the true meaning of love.

Because of her,

I have learned to care for those I truly love

and to take advantage of the time I am given to spend with them.

Every now and then,

I embrace her scarred and worn out hands in my own

and I tell her

“thank you.”