Fancy myself pragmatic
but these cherubic faces
render me nostalgic
Not for the times –
for they were hard –
but for the ideal lost
Speculate on failings
shallow expectations,
pray I did enough.
(Found this old photograph of my two girls.)
Mothers Have Regrets
Published by
One Woman's Quest 
Mothers have regrets because mothers keep trying.
Mothers do not aim at being perfect. They just love.
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Nicely put.
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If you did your best it’s usually enough, and I can only imagine you giving it your all. Still, I do like how you kept this one grounded. Doubts are just part of the human psyche, aren’t they?
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Exactly. Thank you!
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Love this… especially the last stanza. The image too… could almost be my sister and I when we were young, certainly in terms of hairstyles and dresses . Ah, nostalgia, and the prayer towards it we make, with every photo we take of our loved ones
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Thanks so much, Lia.
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Beautiful photo of your girls, VJ! I have the feeling you were the best mother you could be.
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Thanks Eugi. Most of the time, and I made mistakes. Fodder for their own growth, I suspect.
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Most welcome, VJ. 😊
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A mother doubts, but I’m sure you did enough!
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Thanks.
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“for the ideal lost”….says so much!
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Thanks Betty.
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This is very honest 🙂
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Thank you.
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I think we mothers always focus on the what ifs…Your daughters look very happy in the photo!
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Show me a mother and I’ll show you guilt, lol. Even they feel it as mothers themselves. Thanks.
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I bet they do! You’re welcome.
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💖💖💖
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Thanks.
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I’m sure you did plenty VJ. Merry Christmas to you and your family ☺️💕
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Thanks Christine. Merry Christmas to you too.
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That’s such a sweet picture of your two girls. Your poem struck a chord; I have regrets as a mother, too.
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I think it is human. Grandmothering gives me a different perspective.
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I think you’re right. A few years ago, my mother expressed mothering failures to me which she simply didn’t have.
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Doesn’t that say a lot!
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It certainly does. I was very taken aback.
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How adorable! 🙂 ❤
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Thanks Deborah. Hard to believe they are grown women now with their own children.
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