Show To Know now Role AND SO she is but take it from a scarred battle-scarred veteran that is only the initiation The making of a mother is a process process process pro pro- cess of education dedication and slow metamorphosis and isn't accomplished in so short a time as it takes to give birth There are ways a woman can know she's a mother YOURE YOU'RE A mother when no one comes along and picks up after you Youre You're a mother when your name is is taken in vain earnest earnest earnest ear ear- nest anger endearment and andas andas andas as an expletive YOURE YOU'RE A mother when you put the clean clothes in everyone everyone everyone every every- one else's drawers and closets closets closets clos clos- ets with few going into your our own Youre You're a mother when you are the one everyone hasto has hasto hasto to ask Can we have can we the go can we do And there are never enough right answers to go around YOURE YOU'RE A mother when your hours of hardest work are the hours the rest of the family is apt to be at ease Youre You're a mother when no matter who did it last time its it's still your turn YOURE YOU'RE A mother when your name is usually preceded preceded preceded pre pre- ceded by a request When someone says Mother they usually want something You are a mother when you are where most bucks stop except the spending kind of bucks and few of oC them rest very long in mothers mother's pocketbook For that sort of buck youre you're a clearing house YOURE YOU'RE A young mother when you are concerned that the children get enough to eat at in spite of them You and the children have matured matured matured ma ma- when there is no problem problem problem lem with the food going to waste only to waist Youre You're a mother when anybody's anybody's any any- body's cooking looks better than home cooking YOURE YOU'RE A mother when your husband seems to have forgotten your first name The day he begins to say Momma Mom ma can we you can b be sure you are all mother Youre You're a mother when you buy new shoes new dresses new coats and someone el else wears them When you spend pend pen d hours at the sewing machine machin e whipping up stylish new garments garments gar gar- garments ments and then rejoice a at athow athow t how pretty they look on another another another an an- other girl YOURE YOU'RE A mother when your daughters daughter's first date i ia is isa isa s a bigger milestone in your you life than your own was when you agonize with a boy over that phone call to ask aska as asa k a girl to a dance when you work and fuss to get everything every every- thing ready for the big night and then stay home hom e watching the clock Youre You're a mother when n someone else's heartaches heartache s hurt you more than your own when someone else's success s is a greater honor than any an laurels you have earned when n someone else's happiness s makes your own cup run oer o'er YOURE YOU'RE A mother when yo you u have to keep the details o of many lives straight and you yo u have to assure each one h his he heis heis is most important and yo you u really love him best of all When you have become so immersed in other lives so concerned with the goals an and shortcomings the happiness s and success the failure an and d sd heartaches the physical needs need of a houseful of other people people peo peo- pie you have forgotten what wha t ted it was like to worry ver very ty y much about what you want wanted ed for yourself then you have hav ede e become a mother |