Write about a few of your favorite family traditions.
I’ve answered this before, no family, no traditions. So what to do with this space?
Are you in your life?
Did you wake today in the free world?
Or did you wake in a place where you are owned?
Where you have to get up
feed the kids
sort their lunch
get them to school
go to work
work
pick up the kids
make their tea
supervise their homework
clean the house
tidy the mess
prepare for tomorrow
depress yourself by watching the news
and fall into bed
only to wake ten minutes later it seems
and start again
Or is your time your own?
Either because you’re rich
or because you’ve reached the age
where work will finally release you
reminding you that you’re obsolete now
past it
don’t understand the world.
Go forth and retire
(and thanks - by the way)
try to find a life.
Yet your kids might be living the life above
you step in
and it starts again
but you love them.
Or
Are you a kind person who would do anything for anyone?
When you’re drained
are you still there for them?
When you desperately need a break
do you forget how tired you are
and keep going?
Are you partnered with a difficult person?
Do you have a challenging family?
Much as you love them - they are exhausting!
Just getting through a day with them
is to survive an emotional battle
yet all the time they think you’re wrong
and they’re right.
Even though you didn’t start the skirmish
that led to the war.
Do you fight for sanity and peace of mind daily?
Do you struggle with the hurt
whilst knowing that saying anything
will achieve nothing?
Does kindness not count for something?
Does respect exist without a mirror to reflect it back?
Is decency translated as weakness?
Is keeping your word the worst thing
you’ve done to yourself?
None of this is nice
it’s not breezy
it doesn’t raise a smile
but it does matter
a lot.
Only you can put you into your life
and you must place yourself front and centre
you must say
“I have worth - I am important - I matter!”
You must say this to your partner
your parents
your family
your boss
and your children.
If you do not you will live without respect
your decency will be trampled under the feet of others
your kindness a faint cry in the wind
and everything you are will be as nothing
compared to the noise they make.
Yet you are what the world needs.
You are brave enough to be kind
decent enough to be respectful
compassionate enough to help where you can
caring enough to do things for others
(that they can often do for themselves).
You need to stop
take stock
become yourself
front and centre
an equal human being
not a lesser component
of everyone else’s life
not subject to their needs
responsible for their happiness
or the one who cooks, cleans,
washes, irons, works,
then sleeps for a short while.
Your partner is blessed by you
your children should appreciate you
your boss should feel lucky to have you.
Your parents and family should stand by you
and return the love and support you give.
No matter how old they are or you are.
Everyone and everything deserves respect
elders - adults - children - babies
animals - insects - fish - birds - rodents
and the planet.
We are one cosmic whole
we are all equal
gender - race - religion - land of birth
they mean nothing.
We should all just respect life
in all its forms.
So you…
Be the central figure in your life
Feel worthy of respect and good treatment
and if you don’t get it
move on.
If you can’t move on
consider the people who are not treating you
as you are treating them
and realise something…
You may have to educate them
make them treat you decently
or walk away
And you do have that right
Deb Hawken - 2026
Not what I expected to develop
But not wrong. Not happy and joyful but it needs saying, and no one knows that it’s right more than me.
I have had my kindness called woke, my decency called weakness, and my compassion categorised as being a do gooder.
I was furious with President Trump about the way he spoke about the UK’s support in Afghanistan, us and the other NATO members. I posted about it on social media and people agreed with me.
Then he issued an apology, which a commentator called unprecedented. Whilst he should have apologised to all the NATO troops, and it was sad that he didn’t. He still apologised. Yes I’m wise enough to know he wants the King to visit in the spring, but on the other hand, in public, he said sorry to our armed services. So I acknowledged that on social media, and got asked (courteously) if I was serious. My answer goes to the meaning of this prose poem. I said:
“Yes because I don’t allow anyone to change me into someone I don’t want to be.”
That includes allowing bad treatment to destroy my self-worth.
I hope this helps you or someone you know to be far more proud of who they are. We are all:
Perfectly – imperfectly – human
We who are decent. Those who do not respect the finer feelings and trample on the hearts and needs of others, are simply imperfectly human.
If you have struggled in this way, if you have held the line, be proud of who you are. You may be too kind, but you’re not unkind, and you are certainly not a pushover or a fool.
You are what the world needs
you are walking world peace and respect
Blessings to you
With love as always
Amorah – Deb
Share the love and be proud to do it!
Deb Hawken - Amorah 