A Mother Does

While web surfing the other day I came across a poll that asked, “What is a mother?” As the writer of a column entitled Moms Talk, I’d like to think I could answer that question lickedly split. Then the poll continued, “What encompasses the parameters of a mother?”

Huh?

First of all, I don’t think a mother has any parameters. No boundaries, no limits, nothing to confine her, or her love. Second of all, I’m not sure the most accurate way to phrase the initial question is to ask what a mother is. I think the truer question would be to ask what a motherdoes.

That I can answer …

A mother,

• Stays awake all night when her infant has a cold, as if she might be able to breathe for him.
• Learns how to speak Pig Latin and makes a pact to speak that way for an entire day.
• Bakes at least one cake with every ingredient in the pantry, just to see how it will taste.
• Cuts up her fluffiest brown guest towel to create last-minute facial hair for her little Hernan Cortez who's starring in the next morning’s school play.
• Knows her son’s cry in a sea of screaming children.
• Watches hundreds of baseball innings in a single spring season.
• Wears her heart outside her body.
• Doubts herself.
• Becomes an expert in ferromagnetism to help her children master a science test.
• Is sucker punched in the gut whenever her child hurts.
• Treasures more than anything her little silver box containing twenty-three tiny teeth and two little locks of dark hair.
• Loses her breath at the mere thought of what might happen.
• Leads the way even when she’s not sure where’s she’s going.
• Lifts them up even when she’s feeling down.
• Does without.
• Knows the truest joy.
• Does.

If you're a mother, then you can continue this list for miles. Tell me what you do in the comment section below. I’ll post your responses in next week’s column. Have a great holiday!