Her Mothers Eyes (for Rachel on her wedding day)

Your big blue eyes, were as open as the sky,

I remember your open hearted enthusiasm,

for everything you tried,

you have your mothers eyes,

I remember curling photos of sunny summer days,

Paddling pools and lady birds and all within her gaze,

She is watching you,

In everything you try,

You have your mothers eye

And onward through your childhood, through scraped knees and broken hearts,

Mopping tears and calming fears, with the wisdom she imparts,

She is watching out for you,

As you try life on for size,

You have your mothers eyes,

And into adolescence, with all its changes and frustrations,

The late night calls and arguments with their vivid illustrations,

She was watching out for you,

Beyond the tantrums and the lies,

What ever you say, She knows that you belong to her,

You have your mothers eyes,

And into calmer seas of womanhood, on a footing that's more equal,

Through car crash after car crash, and then again through every sequel,

She smiles and she sighs,

When all is said and done,

You have your mothers eyes,

And suddenly a crushing absence, a void is forced into our lives,

And in her last moments you were the last to see her eyes,

But the last eyes that she saw,

Were Her daughters eyes,

You always caught her eye,

And onwards in her absence, looking on from heavens skies

Your daughter is born,

And she has her mothers eyes,

Some don’t believe in heaven, but as you know I do,

And somewhere in that cloud of witnesses,

She is the one that's watching you,

In everything you try,

You have your mothers eyes

And I know, in a sense, she is here with us, on this November day,

And I have a feeling there's a few things that she would like to say,

She'd say that you look beautiful, but then you always do.

She'd say that she was really proud of you, that your inner beauty is shining through,

She's say don’t forget to make God the centre of your life,

She'd say that you're a fantastic mum and you'll make a fantastic wife,

She's say that she couldn’t love you more, Keep your eyes upon the prize,

She'd say 'lay down your life for love, because true love never dies',

And most of all she'd say, where ever you go, what ever you do, as you try life on for size

She'd say that you will always,

Have your mothers eyes.