When you thought I wasn’t looking
You hung my first painting on the refrigerator
And I wanted to paint another.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
You fed a stray cat
And I thought it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
You baked a birthday cake just for me
And I knew that little things were special things.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
You said a prayer
And I believed there was a God that I could always talk to.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
You kissed me good-night
And I felt loved.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
I saw tears come from your eyes
And I learned that sometimes things hurt
But that it’s alright to cry.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
You smiled
And it made me want to look that pretty too.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
You cared
And I wanted to be everything I could be.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
I looked…
And wanted to say thanks
For all those things you did
When you thought I wasn’t looking.
By Mary Rita Schilke Korzan
Mary Rita Schilke Korzan wrote this poem to her mother many years ago, thanking her for all she had done as a mother, friend, and role model. She gave the poem to her mother and, a few months later, offered it as a tribute when Mary and her husband were married. So many wedding guests asked for a copy that Mary included one in her thank-you notes. Then began the strange and heartwarming journey of Mary’s poem to her mom. Friends passed it on to those they knew, and they in turn to their friends. Mary finally noticed her poem, now listed as “Author Unknown,” in A Fourth Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul, which her husband and children gave her as a Mother’s Day gift.
Image of the delightful Mothers Day postage stamp issued by Mexico in 2011 courtesy: https://www.stampboards.com/