Keep Them Close (Poem)

One day a mother died.

And on that clear, cold morning,
in the warmth of her bedroom,
the daughter was struck with
the pain of learning that sometimes
there isn’t any more.

No more hugs, no more lucky moments to celebrate together,
no more phone calls just to chat, no more “just one minute.”

Sometimes, what we care about the most goes away,
never to return before we can say good-bye, say “I Love You.”

So while we have it … it’s best we love it .
And care for it and fix it when it’s broken
and take good care of it when it’s sick.

This is true for marriage … and friendships!
And children with bad report cards;
and dogs with bad hips;
and aging parents and grandparents.
We keep them because they are worth it,
because we cherish them!

Some things we keep -
like a best friend who moved away
or a classmate we grew up with.
There are just some things that
make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important, and so are the people we know.
And so, keep them close!