An Ode to My Mom
( By Sarah Choi )

How can words describe who you are to me, mom?
Words can only say so much, even put to a song
But Pastor Peter asked me to stand up here today
And being the generous person I am, I said, “Um, okay.”

A poem about my mother, I think… where to begin?
Back when I listened to Debbie Gibson, New Kids on the Block, and the Fresh Prince
I remember my mom would always be cooking and cleaning
She’d look up from her vacuum and yell, “Turn of the TV, Sarah.
You should be reading.”

I remember her telling me to practice piano all the time
But I’d rather befriend Mario and Luigi, mom, is that such a crime?
I’d make her mad playing handball on our garage
But I’d always make it up to her later, giving her a nice back massage
But this is not even half of who my mother was
She is so much more to me than memories and hugs
She is love personified, all that is right and just

She is one of the few people in this world whom I truly trust
I have learned I can tell her almost anything and she’d probably agree
In turn, as a mother, she’ll say almost everything that is wrong about me
And though our moms will constantly nag, worry, and fuss
Who else will really say those things amongst the rest of us?

For my mother and I have an unbreakable bond
That will last long after she passes and I am long gone
Because God is the Creator and Perfector of this tie
He brings our oceans together, connects our gap in time

Words can only say so much, mom, and the following are few
These heartfelt words I’ve said many times in my life:
Thank you and I love you.