You had a real bad day,
The first of many that would follow.
You were made redundant from your job,
And had no idea how you would get through tomorrow.
Your boss was an arrogant bully,
Who gave you less credit than you earned.
And when you told your fellow colleagues,
Not a single one of them was concerned.

You came home to an unstable household,
With an absentee husband there,
Who would control your every move,
But pull away when you got near.
He drank more than recommended,
And stayed out late with God knows who.
At times you thought he was being unfaithful,
But then you assured yourself that he chose you.

You got up early every morning,
To prepare your little boy for his day.
You'd put on a brave face in front of him,
Pretending to be okay.
You thought he would think you were weak,
If he seen his Mummy cry.
But I think you taught him a lesson,
When you opened up and let him inside.

He didn't need to know all the details
About why your day was so bad.
He just needed to know that even adults,
Sometimes feel a little sad.
You squatted to his level,
And looked into his innocent eyes.
His little eyes set on yours,
As he asks you why his Mummy cries.

You know you can't ignore him,
This is something he needs to know.
You consider things for a moment,
Your job is gone, and your husband needs to go.
You sit down beside him, on the floor,
And look him in the face.
Your tears still stream down your soft cheeks,
As your little boy sinks into your embrace.

You just say you had a bad day,
That everyone has them in the world,
We all cry for our own reasons,
Every boy and every girl.
Your little boy pulled away after you said this,
And took a curious look around.
He stood up and got a tissue,
Then sat back down on the ground.

On handing you the tissue,
He gave you a little smile.
That smile that shows you you've been victorious,
Through all your defeats, all the while.
It was in that moment, you taught your child,
How to be a human: loving and true.
And it's because of that single moment,
That I'm acknowledging that it was you.

You're the one who taught him that lesson.
You're the person who showed him how painful reality can be.
So even though I'm just a stranger, having a bad day,
Your son still cares for me.
I don’t have the severity of problems, like you do,
As I’m younger by many years.
But your little boy remembers that we all cry for our own reasons,
As he hands me a tissue to dry my tears.