I watch you in the morning while you are sleeping. I prepare my altar carefully so not to disturb you. I burn sage to remove unwanted spirits. They say this is how you keep the evil away. The smoke fills the air. The faint light of dawn creeps through the window highlighting the softness of your face. The stillness of the room interrupted only by the peaceful humming of your breath. I remember when you were an illusion perched beyond my reach; a dream that haunted me at night as I lay in bed, eyes wide open. The average distance between the Earth and the Sun is 92.96 million miles. The average distance between a dream and its manifestation is the number of times your knees have bled while clinging to the ground in prayer. As unattainable as you once seemed, in three days the Earth will complete its orbit around the sun and in three days you will celebrate your first birthday. For 365 days I have prayed to God and thanked her for this gift of mothering. For the rest of my life I will remember this moment, and be grateful that you chose me to be the vessel to bring you into this world.

-For Alexah♥

©2016 Nancy Arroyo Ruffin

*This was written as part of a 3o day writing challenge. The prompt was Eyes Wide Open. Day 1 of 3o.