When my child cried I used to take her hands into my own to “shhh shhh” her ‘cause that’s what I knew best “Please don‘t cry I can’t deal with your pain I have my own pain, bigger than yours, ‘cause I lost everything, I just don’t know it yet.” When my child got beaten up and cried I declared war on the aggressor then I took her in my arms and kept her safe and sworn I’d never let anyone else harm her “Please let me take care of you ‘cause I don’t know how to take care of myself first I need you to be, for me to be” and it was so wrong I just did not know it back then When my child pulled my hair and called me names I used to cry and feel unworthy of love, of life itself but then I forgave her ‘cause she did not know better or so I thought When my child was asking for too much from me and beat me ‘cause I was unable, I struggled to make her wishes come true ‘cause she was my reason to live Until one day when she almost sacrificed me and I opened my eyes That’s when I realized, mom, that my child was you