{"id":5561,"date":"2026-05-07T17:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T17:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/?p=5561"},"modified":"2026-05-07T17:05:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T17:05:07","slug":"motherhood-by-extension-my-helper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/motherhood-by-extension-my-helper\/","title":{"rendered":"motherhood by extension my helper"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dear Nanny,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The world may call you \u201cthe helper,\u201d<br>\u201cthe house girl,\u201d<br>\u201cthe caregiver.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But to me,<br>you became something bigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You became home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You were the one<br>who tied my shoelaces in the morning,<br>wiped my tears after small disasters,<br>checked if I had eaten,<br>covered me with a blanket when I slept on the couch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And somewhere between ordinary moments,<br>you stepped into a role<br>you were never officially given\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">motherhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not by blood.<br>Not by title.<br>But by love shown consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dear Nanny,<br>you carried responsibilities<br>that many people overlooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You raised children<br>while missing your own family.<br>You comforted us<br>while hiding your own exhaustion.<br>You gave affection<br>even on days you were homesick, underpaid,<br>or treated like you were invisible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And children notice more than adults think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I noticed the way you defended me<br>when others were harsh.<br>The way you celebrated my small achievements<br>like they genuinely mattered to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I noticed your sacrifices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes parents were too busy.<br>Sometimes absent emotionally.<br>Sometimes caught up chasing survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But you\u2014<br>you stayed present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You listened to my stories<br>even when they made no sense.<br>You laughed at my jokes.<br>You became the voice asking,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHave you eaten?\u201d<br>\u201cDid you sleep well?\u201d<br>\u201cWhy are you quiet today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And honestly,<br>those small questions saved more hearts<br>than people realize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because motherhood<br>has never only been biology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes motherhood<br>is simply consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Showing up.<br>Caring repeatedly.<br>Protecting gently.<br>Loving someone<br>when you technically did not have to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dear Nanny,<br>I hope life rewards you<br>for the love you poured into children<br>who may never fully understand<br>what you carried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I hope you know<br>you were not \u201cjust helping.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You were shaping lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if I learned kindness,<br>patience,<br>or softness growing up,<br>part of it came from watching you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One day people may celebrate<br>the successful adults we become,<br>without realizing<br>there was a woman in the background<br>packing lunchboxes,<br>cleaning wounds,<br>saying prayers quietly,<br>and holding broken little hearts together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And maybe your name<br>will not appear in family photos properly.<br>Maybe society will never fully honor women like you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But some of us know the truth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Love does not always come<br>from the people who gave birth to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes,<br>it comes from the woman<br>who chose to care for you daily<br>like you were her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/r\/1DxFhEWjtF\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/r\/1DxFhEWjtF<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/\">Walking Shadow Poetry<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Dear young person I understand spoken word by Walking shadow poetry| Poetry\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pBFduBMYxGg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear Nanny, The world may call you \u201cthe helper,\u201d\u201cthe house girl,\u201d\u201cthe caregiver.\u201d But to me,you became something bigger. You became home. You were the onewho tied my shoelaces in the morning,wiped my tears after small disasters,checked if I had eaten,covered me with a blanket when I slept on the couch. And somewhere between ordinary moments,you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5562,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[136,133,144,135,97,25,98],"tags":[35,49,34,67,50,61,55,53,22,48],"class_list":["post-5561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art","category-entertainment","category-inspiration","category-photography","category-poetry","category-solitude","category-storytime","tag-poems","tag-poetess","tag-poetry","tag-preciousowoko","tag-spokenword","tag-spokenwords","tag-stories","tag-story","tag-walkingshadowpoetry","tag-walkingshadowpoetrykenya"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC_1097-1.jpg?fit=667%2C1000&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5555,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/dear-mom-i-am-honestly-really-sorry\/","url_meta":{"origin":5561,"position":0},"title":"Dear Mom, I am honestly really sorry","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"May 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Dear Mom, I used to think strengthlooked like loud voices,big titles,people with power. But then I watched you. I watched you wake up tiredand still continue.I watched you carry pain in silenceso the house could still feel warm.I watched you turn \u201cwe don\u2019t have enough\u201dinto \u201cwe will be okay.\u201d And\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Entertainment&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Entertainment","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/entertainment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/FB_IMG_1754932194434.jpg?fit=960%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/FB_IMG_1754932194434.jpg?fit=960%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/FB_IMG_1754932194434.jpg?fit=960%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/FB_IMG_1754932194434.jpg?fit=960%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2317,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/title-the-forgiving-elephant\/","url_meta":{"origin":5561,"position":1},"title":"Title: The Forgiving Elephant","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"June 14, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Once upon a time, in a lush green jungle, there lived a friendly elephant named Ellie. Ellie was known for her gentle nature and loving heart. She had many animal friends who admired her wisdom and kindness. One sunny day, as Ellie was taking a stroll near the river, she\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"poems\"","block_context":{"text":"poems","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/WalkingShadowPoetryKenya\/poems\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"grey elephant throwing sand with trunk near green trees","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/elephant-africa-african-elephant-kenya-70080.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/elephant-africa-african-elephant-kenya-70080.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/elephant-africa-african-elephant-kenya-70080.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/elephant-africa-african-elephant-kenya-70080.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/elephant-africa-african-elephant-kenya-70080.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2592,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/i-wanted-to-mend-it-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":5561,"position":2},"title":"I wanted to mend it by walking shadow poetry.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"September 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In the quiet of the night, a phone call broke the peace,A voice on the line with news that made my heart cease,An accident took you away, someone so dear,And now I\u2019m left alone, with a heart full of tears. We had a fight, with words that cut deep,Things left\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;POETRY&quot;","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"woman in blue denim jacket crying","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-8553648.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-8553648.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-8553648.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-8553648.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2828,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/dont-put-the-blame-on-me-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":5561,"position":3},"title":"Don\u2019t Put the Blame on Me by walking shadow poetry.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"December 4, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The boundary of your vision is the boundary of your manifestation,How far you see defines your destination.Every man\u2019s size is shaped by his estimation,Yet all you do is put the blame on me, without hesitation. You think I\u2019m the one who walked away,That I left you wounded, with nothing to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;poem&quot;","block_context":{"text":"poem","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poem\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"three word cutouts on a flat surface","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pexels-photo-5941211.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pexels-photo-5941211.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pexels-photo-5941211.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pexels-photo-5941211.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2718,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/i-am-more-than-this-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":5561,"position":4},"title":"I Am More Than This by walking shadow poetry","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"September 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I never thought I\u2019d be here,In the shadows, filled with fear.The love I once knew turned cold,And now I feel I'm growing old. It didn\u2019t start with a heavy hand,Just words, control, and silent demands.Little by little, you tore me apart,Until I no longer knew my own heart. You said\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;POETRY&quot;","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"human fist","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/fist-blow-power-wrestling-163431.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/fist-blow-power-wrestling-163431.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/fist-blow-power-wrestling-163431.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/fist-blow-power-wrestling-163431.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/fist-blow-power-wrestling-163431.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2611,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/dear-you-who-feels-alone-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":5561,"position":5},"title":"Dear You, Who Feels Alone by walking shadow poetry.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"September 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I see you there, struggling in the dark,Feeling like life has lost its spark.I know the thoughts, I\u2019ve been there too,Wondering if anyone would care if you\u2019re through. It starts so quiet, a whisper in your head,Telling you maybe you'd be better off dead.You try to shake it, pretend you\u2019re\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;POETRY&quot;","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"anxious young woman cover wing ears with hands sitting on chair","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-6382633.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-6382633.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-6382633.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-6382633.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5561"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5563,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5561\/revisions\/5563"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}