If you have parents who love you,

Please treat them with kindness,
Don’t take their love for granted. Because
Not everyone knows that kind of warmth.
You can ask…
Ask the quiet one who’s been hurting for years,
Why the sound of screaming makes her freeze in fear,
Why does she wake up from dreams,
shaking, her pillow wet with tears?
Ask her why her heart races at the sound,
Of a voice raised just a little too loud,
Why does she flinch when old memories come around?
She remembers the day her father raised his hand,
In public, where she thought she’d be safe,
Because forgetting the way to a friend’s house wasn’t planned.
She wasn’t even safe in the hands of those who gave her life.
You know her mother used to lie always.
Saying, “She doesn’t want to play today,”
While she stayed trapped inside,
watching others chase the sky.
She once believed all the cruel words they threw,
Lost her confidence when she looked in the mirror,
Thinking she was broken,
when really,
she was stronger than them.
She watched her parents fight over the smallest things,
Felt the tension crawl under her skin.
Her home, more like a battlefield,
Where love was forced to hide its wings.
So, she learned to hold it all in,
Too scared to speak her truth to them,
Searching for a safe space they denied it.
And when she met her lover, who promised to care,
She fell, hoping love would heal her scars,
But instead, found herself trapped in another snare.
He used her beauty like a trophy on display,
Manipulating the innocence she barely understood,
While she kept chasing the love that always slipped away.
But still, I’m so proud of her today,
She fought through it all, on her own.
Found her strength where the shadows tried to hide,
Teaching herself to see the world in light.
She forgave herself for all the pain she carried,
And forgive those who hurt her without a second thought,
And in that forgiveness, all her bitterness was buried.
She’s the most beautiful soul I’ve ever known,
Her spirit is soft, yet fierce like fire,
Without her, I’d feel lost, all alone.
She showed me how to look within,
Taught me life’s truths through her eyes,
Without her love, I’d never have seen.
So thank you, my dear, for simply being,
You’ve turned the darkest nights into dawn,
Without you, life would have no real meaning.

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