When I Must Leave You

When I must leave you
For a little while,
Please do not grieve
And shed wild tears
And hug your sorrow to you
Through the years,
But start out bravely
With a smile.

And for my sake
And in my name,
Live on and do
All the things the same.

Feed not your loneliness
On empty days,
But fill each waking hour
In useful ways.

Reach out your hand in comfort
And in cheer,
And I, in turn, will comfort you
And hold you near.
And never, never
Be afraid to die,
For I am waiting for you
In the sky.

Helen Steiner Rice

Your Mother is Always With You

Your mother is always with you...

She is the whisper of leaves
as you walk down the street.

She's the smell of bleach
in your freshly laundered socks.

She's the cool hand on your brow
when you're not well.

Your mother lives inside your laughter
She's crystallized in every teardrop.

She's the place where you came from,
your first home...
She's the map that you follow
with every step that you take.

She's your first love,
and your first heartbreak...
And nothing on earth can separate you.

Not time, not space...
not even death...
will ever separate you..
from your mother.