My daughter smiled today
Just for a moment
But she did it
She looked at me
And she smiled
And I think of her
Just four months ago
A 3-pound, scrawny chicken
In the incubator
Attached to wires
And tubes
And I see her now
Chubby cheeks
Large, expressive eyes
A grin spreading across
Her soft features
Still tiny
But growing every day
And my mother’s heart swells
With a feeling
I can’t quite describe
I feel grateful
Ecstatic
Proud
I feel relief
My baby will be healthy
My preemie will be normal
I feel hope
My daughter smiled today
I see light
A hopeful tomorrow
A happy tomorrow
My daughter smiled today
I don’t know what the future holds
For my daughter
She may develop
At her own pace
Her growth may be
In tiny, baby steps
But today
I am happy
The world is mine
Anything is possible
Because today
She tok a giant leap
My baby smiled today
By Mashala Shain
