I stumbled upon this poem over a decade ago.  I printed it off and put it in a 3 ½ x 3 ½ acrylic frame which sits beside my computer monitor.  I have read this poem every workday for the past 12 years.  I love it.  It reminds me of what my real job is.

When Corporate America is trying to figure out how to squeeze out another dollar of profit, or just stay afloat.  When School of Rock is trying to figure out how to grow the scholarship fund so we don’t have to ever turn a student away because their parents were laid off by Corporate America’s infatuation with profit more than people.

But most importantly, when my son calls me from 1500 miles away to share his victories – and defeats-I read again; Mothers’ Challenge.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Mothers’ Challenge

Mothers must draw a subtle line,

Finer than any thread is fine,

Must firmly hold but never clutch,

Must freely give, but not too much.

Mothers must stand apart, but not too far,

Must heal the wound, but bless the scar.

And falsely speaking, truly tell

And guarding, never guard too well,

And hearing, fail to overhear,

And fearing all things, have no fear,

And loving, love each child the best…

Yet no child better than the rest!

Author Unknown