Mums

You must hold your quiet center,
where you do what only you can do.
If others call you a maniac or a fool,
just let them wag their tongues. 
If some praise your perseverance, 
don't feel too happy about it—
only solitude is a lasting friend.

You must hold your distant center.
Don't move even if earth and heaven quake. 
If others think you are insignificant,
that's because you haven't held on long enough.
As long as you stay put year after year,
eventually you will find a world
beginning to revolve around you. 


A Center, by Ha Jin


The flowers and poem today are posted in honor of my mother's birthday. If you knew her (which I wouldn't be surprised if one of you out there actually did), you would agree she has a whole universe revolving around her. 

Honestly, if you don't know her, she might know your cousin who married that interesting person whose child from their first marriage went to school with a girl who did this incredibly kind thing many years ago and, wouldn't you know, she just got to talking to her the other day while shopping at a store she happened to be at through some meaningful coincidence and discovered  that, you know what? that cousin is actually related to you. Which means you're probably pretty nice too.