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There is not a long line of skills that you needed to develop to earn the title of mother. The privilege was entrusted to you as a gift and as a rite of passage. Being a mother is not the same as being a mom, because anyone can become a mom and never live up to the obligation that the position entails. You become a mom the minute you give birth and too many abuse it. There is a balance in true motherhood that is going to be both good and bad, filled with different traits, including those that once drove us crazy, that often contradict each other.

A mother is organized;

She prepares lunches, remembers when reports are due, never misses a soccer practice, and pulls her child that absolutely hates shots into the doctors office each year and does it all with great punctuality.

And sometimes floopy.

She gets busy and loses her keys sometimes. She may forget to return phone calls until tomorrow. And she easily procrastinates and lets go of a schedule when the opportunity to play Barbie, shoot some hoops, or finger paint comes up.

A mother is fair;

She created a special even day-odd day schedule to eliminate sibling rivalry, she buys more than one so that everyone can play together, she never punishes for something she did not see herself, and always disciplines with love and respect.

Even when it seems she's unfair.

She may lock herself in the bathroom to ignore and get away from the howling and screaming for a few minutes, or insist that the two work things out themselves. Sometimes she may even choose a punishment.

A mother is kind;

She picks up stray puppies on the side of the road to nurse them back to health, she always caresses her child's hair with the softest touch. A mother effortlessly demonstrates poise and graciousness when she speaks to others as an example to her children.

She can also be unkind.

She doesn't forget that she's human sometimes and may need to fight with the principal when the school "loses" her child for half an hour, the insurance company when they cheat her on coverage, or tell a white lie when she does not have time to meet up with her own personal friends.

A mother makes sacrifices;

She would skip breakfast, lunch, and dinner to make sure the children have plenty to eat. She will cut her own hair, wear a pair of shoes for 6 winters, or clip her nails off to avoid spending unnecessary money. She will work full time in addition to her mommy responsibilities to make sure her children have everything they need.

She also has guilty pleasures.

She may

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