Tribute to a Working Mother

by Jay Allen, age 20

Jay wrote this sonnet a few years ago for her mother Alicia, who passed away this Thanksgiving. She read it at the funeral and has kindly allowed us to share it here. We were already proud of Jay for realizing her lifetime dream of being accepted into the Navy. Now we are even prouder of how she is handling such a difficult loss at such a young age. 

Jay is due to ship out next month. We will miss her, but we are glad to see her chase her dream, undaunted. In the meantime she has been taking good care of her little sister and coming into the gym when she has time. Today she sparred a few rounds with her fellow writer Athol, whose English term paper you can read by scrolling down.

Jay and Alicia

Tribute to a Working Mother

If anyone deserves a prize and merits recognition, 

It is the working mother. We should praise her position. 

She balances a host of duties, home and job related, 

And takes your breath away to see a life so dedicated. 

It really is amazing to observe her life in action, 

Yet sad that her own private time is merely an abstraction. 

We understand her true frustration, for the job's unfinished, 

Yet stand in utter awe of her ambition undiminished. 

The working mother is the rarest blend of love and caring. 

She reaches out to do so much; her life is one of sharing. 

Let’s never take for granted her uniqueness and her drive. 

Her routine is the toughest one a person can survive. 

What kind of recognition is she owed by all the rest? 

The highest. But she’ll settle for a little bit of rest.