This is for all the Mommies who have sat up all night with sicktoddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here." Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing cryingbabies who can't be comforted. This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up intheir hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse. For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sewHalloween 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 homes. This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hangingo n their refrigerator doors. And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers atfootball or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth oftheir cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?"they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for theworld," and mean it. This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocerystore and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and screamfor ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count toten instead, but realize how child abuse happens. This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children andexplained all about making babies. And for all the (grand) motherswho wanted to, but just couldn't find the words. This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children caneat. For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a nightfor a year. And then read it again. "Just on e more time." This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie theirshoelaces before they started school. A nd for all the mothers whoopted for Velcro instead. This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and theirdaughters to sink a jump shot. This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when alittle voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know theirown offspring are at home -- or even away at college. This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school withstomach aches assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there,only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them toplease pick them up. Right away. This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't findthe words to reach them. This is for all the step-mothers who raised another woman's childor children, and gave their time, attent ion, and love... sometimes totally unappreciated! For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their14-year-olds dye their hair green.For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, andthe mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in frontof their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely. This is for all the mothers who taught their children to bepeaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war. What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broadhips? 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 acheyou feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down thestreet, walking to school alone for the very first time? The joltthat takes you from sleep to dread, fro m bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? Th e panic, yearslater, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear theirkey in the door and know they are safe again in your home? Or theneed to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hearnews of a fire, a car accident, a child dying? The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts arefor young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation... And mature mothers learning to let go. For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. and the wanna be mommies too. Mothers with money, mothers without. This is 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. And pray. Please pass alo ng to all the Moms in your life. "Home is what catches you when you fall - and we all fall." Please pass this to a wonderful mother you know. (I just did.)