Is there really an adequate way to thank moms for years of love and concern and all of the stress and worry we put them through? A bouquet of flowers and a card hardly seems like enough.

This isn’t really a new realization for me. Having children puts everything in a different perspective, especially when you’re thinking about your own childhood and the people who put up with you for your entire life. We can fool ourselves into believing that we were perfect children, who were a joy for our parents to raise, but even the best-behaved children have their moments, and our parents had to deal with them.

In my mother’s case, she had to deal with five children who were a little less than perfect, and although we’re now all fully grown, she’s still there for support in those rocky times. (And with five of us to see to, there are a lot of rocky times.)

I’m not sure anyone realizes what they’re in for when they decide to have children. You may think about what it will be like to have a baby or even a toddler, but unless you’re gifted at planning things out, I doubt too many people imagine what life will be like when they have a teenager or when their child becomes an adult and heads out into the world.