As a mother of eleven children,
my mama did many loads of laundry
wearing her house dress and apron.
She washed and ironed many shirts,
blouses, skirts, pants, and dresses.
She cooked too many to count meals

She sang and taught us to sing harmony.
She whistled.  She played the mandolin.
She read us bedtime stories, tucked the
little ones in with bedtime prayers, and
then she kissed the many foreheads 
before turning out the lights

She encouraged us all.  She prayed.
She took us to church.  She showed
us how to love one another.

Her signs of surrender came
when she could no longer win the fight
against Cancer.  We eleven surrounded
her with our love.

She had given us everything that money can’t buy.