- DEFINITION OF 'MOTHER' -

this' for the mothers who've sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with oscar mayer wieners & cherry kool-aid saying, "it's okay honey, mommy's here"

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who've sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted

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this' for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair, milk stains on their blouses & diapers in their purse

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for all the mothers who run carpools, make cookies & sew halloween costumes

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this' for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see & the mothers who took those babies in & gave them homes

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this' for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors

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for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars & that when their kids asked, "did you see me, mom?" they could say, "of course, i wouldn't have missed it for the world," & mean it

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this' for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store & swat them in despair when they stomp their feet & scream for ice cream before dinner & for all the mothers who count to 10 instead, but realize how child abuse happens

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this' for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat

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for all the mothers who read, "goodnight, moon" twice a night for a year & then read it again, "just one more time"

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this' for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school & for all the mothers who opted for velcro instead

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this' for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook & their daughters to sink a jump shot

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this' for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home, away at college, or have their own families

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this' 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 a call from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up...right away

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this' for mothers whose children have gone astray & who can't find the words to reach them

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for all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14 year old dyes their hair green

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for all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings & the mothers of those who did the shooting

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for the mothers of the survivors & the mothers who sat in front of their tv's in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely

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this' for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful & now pray they come home safely from a war

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what makes a good mother anyway? - is it patience? - compassion? - broad hips? - the ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner & 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? - the jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? - the panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door & know they're safe again in your home? - or the need to flee from wherever you are & hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident or a child dying?

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the emotions of motherhood are universal & so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes & sleep deprivation & mature mothers learning to let go

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for working mothers & stay-at-home mothers - single mothers & married mothers - mothers with money, mothers without - this' for you all - for all of us... hang in there - in the end we can only do the best we can - tell them every day that we love them, pray & never stop being a mom

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please pass this to a wonderful mother or mother figure you know