Thanks, Mom

In honour of Mother's Day, we asked readers to share what they have learned from one of life's most influential teachers

I'M THE YOUNGEST of six children. When I was four, my dad suffered a work accident that left him disabled, so my mom had to take care of him, too. My father's family wanted to separate us kids into the care of different uncles. But my mom told them no, that she would support us. She had never worked before, but she found a job and was able to keep a roof over our heads, provide food and send us to school.

So even at age four, I had great admiration for my mother's hard-working attitude. When she got home from work, she would play with us kids outside. We played with a ball, we looked at the sky and the stars, and she always answered our questions. I never heard her say that she was tired; she only wanted to see us happy. I thank my mom because she never gave up. -MARISOL MARTINEZ SOLANO, Mexico City

WHEN I WAS a self-centred teenager, my mother, Hélène, would tell me that we don't get points in life for being beautiful or intelligent, because those are traits we are born with. She'd say, "You only get points for being kind, because that is something you have to work at and choose to be." I needed to hear that. -LISE D'AMOURS, Casselman, Ont.

MY MOM WAS the most generous, loving person. If she knew of someone who was sick or dealing with hard times, she immediately prepared food for them. Now I do the same for my loved ones. My brother just went into surgery, and I made the family meals to get them through the week. It brings me so much joy to know that I'm helping (and it doesn't hurt that I love to cook). -BARB KNIEL, St. Albert, Alta.