I just on a plane, next to someone’s mother.
She was a kindly lady, unassuming.
Two daughters, two granddaughters.
She had her faith, and her beautiful experiences
And she loved her family, and her life
She knew the value of sharing what you know
How vital it is to lend a hand to those in need.

And while talking about one daughter,
The one with two granddaughters,
She said she’d landed with the wrong man, twice.
Twice she used those words
Twice the pain was the same
So here was a mother,
Doing the best she could for her two girls,
And there were two men,
Failing to do the right thing.

And I felt bad for us fathers
Were we not there?
Did we not do the right thing?
What example did we set?
Too much time on Facebook?
Too much time on the phone?
Too much time ignoring them?
Did we pass our own fears and insecurities
Onto the blank slate of their youth?

We are all responsible for our own condition
But we too should be responsible for our influence
And be leery of our egos and dark sides
Hard as it may be, we need to see
How each action or each word, spoken in wrath or love,
May one day shape not only our relationship
But their future as well

So here’s to mothers, and also to fathers
May we learn from those who love
And in turn show how to love
Be it sons or daughters
So they may, one day, in turn
Show their own, which way to turn
Which way to love
Not for us, but for them
Not for glory or gain or fame
But to help them fare well in the game
Then we can have hope that our boys will one day be great
And be that daughter’s The One
And that our daughters won’t have to face the wrong man
And we won’t feel like the wrong man
And we won’t feel like we raised a wrong man

So, here’s to mothers, to those women who showed us love
And care, and compassion
But here’s also to fathers, to those men whose examples
Taught us chivalry, and manners, and kindness and strength and passion
So, here’s to us
For the cycle never ends, and from children to parents to grand parents
We all grow and pass down the baton
Ever setting an example
Ever called upon to learn and grow
Ever remembering that our every gesture
Will teach others how to love, or how to fear
And mothers, save those that can’t, will always show how to love
So… here’s to mothers

Val Gameiro
Writer, Director, Filmmaker
Austin, Texas