Love was a story read "just one more time"
as that late bedtime
hour ticked away.
Love was the pride
with which my first scribbles
were honored and put on display.
Love was a hug that I knew would be there
the day of my first broken heart.

Love was a gentle example
that taught me the values I learned
from the start.
Love was my strength, my foundation
in life ~
and to this day, words cannot show
how deep that love went,
how much it has meant~
or the depth of the thanks
that I owe.
                                         Ellen Brenneman