<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: canada-type-gibson; font-size: 1.75rem; font-style: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">My Mother Kept a Garden</span><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div class="c-feature-bd" style="margin: 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.3; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><div class="o-poem isActive" data-view="PoemView" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; position: relative;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><div style="text-indent: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Author unknown</div><div style="text-indent: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><br></div><div style="text-indent: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><br></span></div><div style="text-indent: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">My Mother kept a garden,</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">A garden of the heart.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">She planted all the good things</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">That gave my life its start.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">She turned me to the sunshine</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">And encouraged me to dream.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">Fostering and nurturing</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">The seeds of self-esteem.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">And when the winds and rain came,</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">She protected me enough.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">But not too much because she knew</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">I'd need to stand up strong and tough.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">Her constant good example</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">Always taught me right from wrong.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">Markers for my pathway</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">That will last a lifetime long.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">I am my Mother's garden.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">I am her legacy.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">And I hope today she feels the love</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">Reflected back from me.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;"><br></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: -1em;">————————————————-</div></div></div></div></div><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">http://www.MoscowCares.net</span></div><div><br></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><br></div><div>“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.”</div><div>- Roy E. Stolworthy</div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>