Mothers. Where would we be without them? Nowhere. Who else carries us day after day for nine months having no idea who we are or might become? Then after we're born, mothers attend to our every need for at least the first decade of our lives and for many of us, several decades afterwards.
As a young boy, I thought my mother never slept. If I awoke in the middle of the night suffering from some ailment, she would be at my bedside mere moments after my first tear or groan of discomfort. My mother was always there when I needed her and sometimes when I thought I didn't need her but I really did.
Mothers care, comfort and nurture us through our early years then provide supportive encouragement as we leave the nest to find our own way in the world. But they are always there should we need to return for the powerfully restorative elixir that is motherly love.
Mother's Day is a good day if you are in the greeting card, flower or brunch business but we should be thankful for our mothers every day of the year. If you lose your mother, I am sure that it leaves a hole in your life that never disappears. If you still have a mother, show her your gratitude and tell her you love her every chance you get. If you are a mother, thank you for your tireless work in nurturing your children and through them our very existence as a species.
If you are my mother, I love you very much and can really only repay what you have given me by reflecting your love to others.