And She Smiled - a poem in remembrance

And she smiled.

She smiled a smile that I had never seen on her face before, an embarrassed smile, a smile with a blush, the blush of first love.

They played like puppies and cuddled like kittens, and she loved him.

She smiled, and she laughed, and she became a woman.

And he smiled.

He smiled while he loved her, adored her, and gave her his heart.

He pleased her with flowers and balloons, penguins and bears, love letters and turtles.

And they smiled, that smile of deep love.

They smiled, they loved, they swam, they explored, they danced, they slept, they drove, they played, they learned, they watched, they laughed, they called, they talked, they cared, they dreamed, they planned, they fought, they cried, and they parted.

But as they parted they smiled, looking into each others' eyes, a smile of hopeful love.

And she called me and said “Mom he died”.

And she cried.

We cried.

We cried for the loss of his smile, his voice, his laughter, his love for her.

We cried for the loss of their loving future.

I cried for the loss of her smile, the smile of first love, deep love, and hopeful love.

I cried for the loss of my daughter, the woman she had become, so happy in her love for him and his love for her.

I cried for the loss of the strength and the love of life he had given her.

And we remembered.

We remembered how he had made her smile, had made her laugh, had brought her out of her turtle’s shell.

We remembered how he had made her stronger, made her brighter.

We remembered his love, his laugh, his smile.

And we knew.

We knew he would want her to stay strong, stay bright, to be the woman he had helped her become, with his love, his laughter and his smile.

We knew he wouldn’t want her to lose what he had given her through his love.

And we knew he would want her to smile.

And she said “Mom he lived and we loved”.

And we smiled.

And now, again, she loves, and she smiles...