Alll you all have shared some very beautiful thoughts. A mother is the single most influential person in your life at and early age, and hopefully, if you're lucky in to your adulthood. All of your post make me want to be the Best Mother who ever lived. Even if it is just as a fill in mum to Spencer.
As regards my mother, I resented her growing up, but I am so much like her now as an adult I have no choice but to respect her. She is an epitome of a "good woman." She taught me everything there is to know about running a house. I know how to wash 3 loads of laundry with a teaspoon of dish soap, or which grocery stores offer the best coupon deals. I learned about giving more of yourself to others than you get back most of the time. And what the perfect combinations of soup, juice, and tylenol are to make you feel better fast.