Resilient

 re·sil·ient / adj. 1. The cactus that stands tall in the barren desert: vibrant, vulnerable, thriving, alive. It is where it is supposed to be. The danger of the everyday / Met in stride. 2. The short, squash cactus that stands guard under my bedroom window. Waiting to surprise the unlucky intruder / The foolish burglar who won’t see it coming. My mother’s hands are stained with mulch / Sweat dripping from her brow. The burglar never comes / He can’t escape her mind. 3. The grown daughter that stands / Looking over her shoulder / Clutching her car keys tightly. Surviving the danger of the everyday / And the every other day / Resilient like her mother