When I was growing up, almost all mothers were pretty good mothers. I’m sure there were some who didn’t live up to the ideal description, but all the women I knew who were mothers were pretty good. I don’t think I am fooling myself because the mother God sent to me was the best. I think this was just the way it was “back when.”

Hosea Ballau once said, “Education commences at the mother’s knee, and every word spoken within the hearing of little children tends toward the formation of character.” A mother is the first teacher a child encounters. She gets her little ones off on the right foot.

A mother is to a child like a root is to a plant. She anchors the child to the world. Whether this anchor is secure of not depends a lot on the mother.

Secured in earth by the root, a plant matures and produces flower after flower. A plant not securely attached can be uprooted by outside forces such as wind. A child need to be firmly rooted in its mother’s care and love to grow and to endure the outside forces that try to make an impression on it.

No matter how “good” one’s mother was, however, one of the truths of childhood involves the resolution of children not to treat their children the way their parents treated them and not to say the things to their children that their parents said to them. This is true of almost all children at one time or another.

Some of the sweetest words I have ever heard was the remark made by one of my daughters when she said, “Mom, I said something the other day that sounded exactly like you!” I laughed and laughed (to myself, of course). Actually, I have heard this from two of my daughters. The other one isn’t a mother yet, but I can wait. Then, I will laugh again, only louder this time.

Some of the old favorites that came right out of mothers’ mouths at one time or another are as follows: “You’d better pray that doesn’t stain; If you don’t quit crossing your eyes, they will freeze that way; If you fall and break your leg, don’t come running to me; You weren’t born in a barn; If you don’t quit crying, I will give you something to cry about; Just look at the dirt on the back of your neck; It looks like a tornado went through your room; Just wait until your father gets home; I hope your kids are just like you!”

In preparing this column, I looked through quotations about mothers. Some of them were universal in their application and showed quite a bit of insight by the person who made them.

A few of my favorites are as follows:

”A mother’s role is to deliver children obstetrically once and by car forever after.” Peter De Vries

“The phrase ‘working mother’ is redundant.” Jane Sellman

“The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.” Honore de Balzac

“She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn’t take them along.” Margaret Banning

“If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?” Milton Berle

“Any mother could perform the jobs of several air traffic controllers with ease.” Lisa Alther

“Now, as always, the most automated appliance in a household is the mother.” Beverly Jones

“All mothers are working mothers.” Author Unknown

Humor aside, motherhood is the most important job any woman can have. A mother brings joy and hope. She stands up for her children and knows that a hug and a kiss can help heal a broken heart or a scraped knee.

A mother loves unconditionally and gives moral support to both family and friends. She is strong when she thinks she has no strength left. She comes in all sizes and shapes and colors.

A mother takes God’s place on earth because He needs someone to help care for the children. She is one step below the guardian angels.