This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up the yellow spew splattered with sprinklings of chewed up cherios soaked in Fanta saying, "Its okay honey, Mummy's here."
 
For those who have sat up at night for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.
 
This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and nappies in their hand bags, and tell everyone else they're "Good, thanks". And for those who scan the papers each day, desperately searching for work between the hours of 9am and 3pm. And those who stay at home, because they can.
 
For all the mothers who run carpools, and make cookies, and work at tuckshop, and sew fancy dress costumes.  And all the mothers who don't.
 
This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them loving homes.
 
This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.  And for all the mothers who froze on the bleachers at football and soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, or waiting at home for the score, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mum?"  they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.
 
This is for all the mothers who yell and swear at their kids in the supermarket and smack them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who have learned to count to ten instead, and understand how child abuse happens.
 
This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about periods, genitals and making babies. And for all the mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.
 
This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.
 
This is for all the mothers who read "Who sunk the boat?" twice a night for a year. And then read it again."Just one more time."   This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the  mothers who opted for Velcro instead.
 
This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to change a tyre.
 
This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mum?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home or away studying at uni, or answering their own children.
 
This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE, and then got a call from the school an hour later asking them to please pick them up.  Right away.   This is for all the mothers who cheered with their children when they got an "A" on their exam. And those who also cheered their kids on when they received an 'F'.   And those mothers who sat with their children, and helped them move through a pain that no words could resolve and no doctor could sedate.   This is for all the mothers who smiled when their child first packed a little bag of important things (like toys) and said they were running away. And the mothers who didn't realise they were serious.
 
This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, and those who can't find the words to reach them.
 
For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 12 year olds decide they want to perm and dye their hair green.
 
For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings. And the mothers of those who did the shooting.
 
For the mothers of the school kids that survived, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who came home from school, safely.   For the mothers whose children sit in jails wishing they'd done what they were told, and waiting for someone to tell them what to do next.   For the mothers whose children insisted experimenting with drink and drugs was something "everyone does" and now realise that not everyone finds it easy to stop.  
This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.
 
What makes a good Mother anyway...?
 
Is it patience?   Persistence?
Compassion?
 
Broad hips?
 
The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?
 
Or is it in her heart..?
 
Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street... walking to school alone for the very first time?
 
Is it the jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, and from your bed to their crib at 2 A.M... to check that the chest of the sleeping baby is rising and falling just as it should?
Maybe it's the panic, years later...when they go out with their friends at night for the first time... when you just wait to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home?
 
Or is the need to flee from wherever you are and whatever you're doing and hug your child when you hear a siren, or news of a fire, a car accident, or another child missing or worse...dying?   Is it that part of a woman that makes them respond to any child... no matter who they belong to, or how much trouble they've been in, or how bad we know they can be?... The bit that believes in a child's goodness?
The emotions of motherhood are said to be universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through sleep deprivation...and trying not to prick the sweet little babe with those huge nappy pins.   And the mature mothers who have perfected the art of pretending it's not really hard at all, to be on time, or to remember simple things, or to keep everything tidy and quiet, when you are living in a state of constant chaos.
 
For all working mothers and stay-at-home mothers...
 
Single mothers and married mothers..
 
Mothers with money, mothers without.
 
This is for all mothers.  For all of us. We all know our own worth. In the end we can only do the best we can.   We tell our children every day that we love them. And even those who aren't religious still pray for their children. Because sometimes that is all we can do. So we do it.  
    "Home is what catches you when you fall - and we all fall."

Thats a pretty touching post Nic. And to all the Mothers here and elsewhere I wish you all a Happy Mothers Day.

Nic? Its been a while. How are things going with you. Weve missed you on here. Ever hear from our buddy Stan? Kinda miss all that English humour you guys share on here.:)

You have a great weekend.

Good day Nic,

What a wonderful post to wakeup to this morning! I still turn my head every time someone says Mom in a store.And the son who blew this semester at college will be home tomorrow and I will bite my tongue because I remember what it's like to be 18.

My daughter and granddaughter will be here too and there will be 4 generations of females under one roof , it will be loud and noisy, each of us vying for attention and I will smile and cherish the moment in my heart. Before recovery I would have got upset and angry and told everyone to shutup.I will think about my grandbabies in heaven, and give my daughter a big hug as I do and a tear will run down my cheek. 

Tomorrow I will celebrate one more Mothers Day with my 77 year old Mom who the Dr. thought was dying that cold , dreary morning this past Feb., I will give her a hug even though she hates me to, and plant flowers in her garden even though she says she is dying and won't get to see them grow.

I will thank God for my blessings !

I've missed you and glad you're back.

Happy Mothers Day to you my friend! And to all the other Moms on this board.

(((Hugs)))

GammyRose

Am so glad you found this Gammy, was thinking of you...which is exactl why I posted it here. I sent it to my Mums...the ladies who have mothered me and cared for me, when my own Mum wasn't able. I have spent the week preparing goodies to be delivered to my Grandma tomorrow and feel a little sad that I can't be there to scoop her up like she used to do to me when I was tiny and fragile...but all is as it should be. Have a wonderful time with your family. I am smiling at the thought of my annual serve of burnt toast, cold coffee and soggy cereal already...aw, we've gotta eat it too!

I'm fine Phil...preparing for an exam on Monday, so have had my head down. And yes, I still laugh with Stan - he's good value, when you remember he's laughing whenever he says anything. Mind you, he's not a bad stats tutor in his very rare serious moments either. He's doing fine from what I can gather...hijacked him onto the Aussie site, and folks here are maybe a little more used to folks having a go...(whether it be at you, or with you... ) for the sake of a chuckle. If we could prize him away from his weird footy games he'd probably move here... lolololol

I doubt he'll be back on this site though, but I've been wrong before. T'was just not cricket what went on. The Poms may have invented bodyline, but they've always known its not on to actually connect and slam those who front up to bat. It was always about the fine line, and folks crossed it. It's all in the sport of things, I figure...or peoples definitions of sport, maybe. Thankfully he's not on his own and has access to regular meetings and folks that can see the twinkle in his eye when he's poking or testing them. I had thought you might ring him... no? Give him a ring if you feel like it...he's no grudge bearer. He'd have a laugh for you, I reckon.

Gotta go crunch some more numbers...All the best everyone.

Nic

thanks,nic.i needed to hear this. I am exhausted,i have 5 kids,single mom, and i am feeling really blue today.I just got back from a meeting,and i read this, and remembered that all of my kids are happy and healthy and fed, and i thank god for that....sometimes we need these little reminders,eh?

thanks.its good to know that some people understand the intensely all - consuming job that is motherhood, and they give us our propers.

jill