Now I Know
By Krystena LuCastro · Originally published on Medium May 11, 2025
(A Lullaby for the Mothers Before Me)
I didn’t know, not way back then,
The weight you held, the ache, the bend —
The whispered tears behind the door,
The loving less of self — and more.
I didn’t see the sleepless eyes,
The quiet battles, silent cries.
The way you smiled through growing pain,
While dancing through the pouring rain.
I didn’t feel the tug, the pull,
Of hearts that stretch to make one full.
I didn’t hear the unvoiced plea:
“See all I give — just let me be.”
But now I know, I really do —
Since walking paths once walked by you.
Each diaper, meal, and lullaby
Reveals the truth I passed you by.
I’m sorry for the times I missed
The strength it takes to mother this.
I love you more than words can show —
You are the roots from which I grow.
You’re strong, you’re brave, you gave your best.
I see it now. I know the rest.
You did so much with quiet grace —
The kind that time cannot erase.
So here I stand, full heart, full eyes,
A humbled soul beneath wide skies.
Thank you for the love you gave —
The fierce, the soft, the small, the brave.
And look at me — the mother you made.
Read the published version on Medium