This is for the mothers who have sat up
all night with sick toddlers in their arms,
wiping up puke laced with carrots and
bright pink cold drink saying,
"It's okay honey, Mummy's here."
Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on endsoothing crying babies who can't be comforted?
This is for all the mothers who show up atwork with spit-up in their hair and milk stainson their blouses and nappies in their handbags
For all the mothers who run carpools andmake cookies and sew Halloween costumes.
And all the mothers who DON'T.
This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see.
And the motherswho took those babies and gave them homes.
This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.
And for all the mothers who froze their bumson metal bleachers at football or soccer games
instead of watching from the warmth of their cars.
And 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 at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despairwhen they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner.
And for all the mothers who count to ten instead,but realize how child abuse happens.
This is for all the mothers who sat down with
their children and explained all about making babies.
And for all the (grand) mothers whowanted to, but just couldn't find the words.
This is for all the mothers who go hungry,
so their children can eat.
For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" 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 sonsto cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.
This is for every mother whose head turnsautomatically when a little voice calls "Mum?"in a crowd, even though they know their
own offspring are at home or even away at college
or have their own families.
This is for all the mothers who sent their kids
to school with stomach aches, assuring them
they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour laterasking them to please pick them up.
"Right away!"
This is for mothers whose children have goneastray, who can't find the words to reach them.For all the mothers who bite their lips until theybleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.
For all the mothers of the victims ofrecent school shootings, and the mothersof those who did the shooting.
For the mothers of the survivors,and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror,hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.
This is for all the mothers who taught theirchildren to be peaceful, and now praythey come home safely from a war.What makes a good mother anyway?
Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips?
The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, andsew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?
Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache she feels when shewatches her son or daughter disappear
down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?
The jolt that takes her from sleep todread, from bed to crib, at 2 A.M. to puther hand on the back of a sleeping baby?
The panic, years later, that comes again
at 2 A.M. when she just wants to hear
their key in the door and know theyare safe again in her home?
Or the need to flee from wherever she is and hug her child when she hears newsof a fire, a car accident, a child dying?
The emotions of motherhood areuniversal and so our thoughts are foryoung mothers stumbling through nappy changes and sleep deprivation...
And for mature mothers learning to let go.
For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers;
single mothers and married mothers; mothers with money, mothers without.
This is for you all. For all of us...Hang in there.
In the end we canonly do the best we can.
Tell our children every day that we love them.
And pray and never stop being a mother...
![[A Daft Scots Lass]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YNYsTo0pJUg/TpkWNX_ERZI/AAAAAAAAO48/RVIjA-CWKxg/s1600/newskinnybanner.png)
