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Today and Always
Little Ways to Show a Mother's Love
By Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P.
I am an adoptive mother and an adoption facilitator. One of the things I notice most about new mothers and fathers is the love that grows from the first time they hold their child in their arms. The love a mother feels for her child is the same whether the child was grown in her own body or in their heart, as when a mother adopts a child.
My children are dear to me, and I find it hard to see them in pain. I feel like a mother hen watching over her baby chicks all the time. Children are resilient in some areas, but always need to know they are loved, wanted and are priceless to us, at any age. Even when our children don't need us any longer to tie their shoestrings or to wipe their noses, they still need to know that we care. Often a child will not feel the impact of their mother's love until they become a parent themselves or their mother is no longer living. Then the power of a lifetime of love their mother provided sets in.
To love and accept our children, even when they are driving us nuts and their behavior is horrid, is most challenging. But the mix of unconditional love and loving limits is the most important duty and obligation a mother can have. Hugs and kisses are special and a neces


