Look at your mother:
the creases near her eyes,
the wrinkles on her forehead,
the grey hair she can't deny.
Do you see the hard work?
The long hours and longer days?
Do you see the youth
that parenting took away?

Look at your father:
his rough and calloused hands,
the dirt beneath his nails,
his shining wedding band.
Do you see the sacrifices?
Everything he lost?
Do you see the toll of life
after he paid the cost?

Look at your sister:
her ever-growing smile,
her perfect hair and teeth,
her unbelievable style.
Do you see the tears?
The ones that come each night?
Do you see the hurt
behind every "I'm alright"?

Look at your family:
the sharing at the table,
the movie Sunday night,
the image that you're stable.
Do you see the cracks?
The ones hidden in the walls?
No one knows they're there
until the day it falls...