Her mother earned her Ph.D. at age 50.
She left five children home alone,
handwritten instructions on the table
on how to bake the meatloaf, a can
of corn and permission to have
two cookies for dessert.
She went to Northwestern University
straight from her work as a French
professor at a small private college nearby.
There was no time to come home,
no real reason to, my friend told me.
The shabby couch and broken TV
provided no sustenance, no comfort.
The kids fed the dog and played
outside on the street.
During those long hours
on the road in the darkness of night,
this mother found reasons to keep
going besides the five kids at home.
To simply prevail is honorable,
to find joy somewhere is better.
She left five children home alone,
handwritten instructions on the table
on how to bake the meatloaf, a can
of corn and permission to have
two cookies for dessert.
She went to Northwestern University
straight from her work as a French
professor at a small private college nearby.
There was no time to come home,
no real reason to, my friend told me.
The shabby couch and broken TV
provided no sustenance, no comfort.
The kids fed the dog and played
outside on the street.
During those long hours
on the road in the darkness of night,
this mother found reasons to keep
going besides the five kids at home.
To simply prevail is honorable,
to find joy somewhere is better.
Photograph courtesy of http://flickr.com/photos/quincypics/2243898916/
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