I am a mother and have been for twenty-seven years. It has been a journey of personal growth and a test of stamina. I started out on parenthood quite sure of myself. That lasted six weeks and I learnt that actually I wasn't in charge here. This little scrap of humanity was!

Over the next few years and children I learnt what all mothers learn -humility as a parent- as my children set about discovering the world and how they could wreak havoc in it. It took time to learn to accept them for what they were, not for who I wanted them to be. They taught me this as they challenged me, my beliefs and my cooking.

Just as I thought I was getting the hang of this parenting thing, some became teenagers and changed the rules on me. I was now their cook, taxi driver and mum. Coping with them as teenagers meant having to cope with people doing exams, people wanting to leave home (don't we all?), people eating some things and not others, people hating sharing rooms and going out with the family group. One child would come to the beach with us only if we sat miles away from him. And they started giving me the benefit of their vast experience on how to bring up the younger ones: 'you don 't smack them enough. I got smacked all the time.'

Through all this two things have sustained me and kept me sane. one is my supportive husband who enjoys his children as much as they enjoy him. The other source of strength is Christ. Preparing our children for various sacraments has certainly deepened my own faith and sense of Christ.

It's the trend today to talk about giving birth and mothering as if it were a spiritual experience. But giving birth is the easy part and it certainly doesn't make you a mother. Being a mother is to be constantly there, putting the needs of the child first and its wants a good second. It is learning to let go just as you were enjoying having hold. It is discovering strengths within yourself you were not aware of and faults that your children make sure everyone is aware of. So, Mother's Day for me is not about presents. It's about being grateful I am one and that my mother became one. (written by a grateful mum)