What makes a mother?

Today an arborist came to my house to give me an estimate on how much it would cost to trim a few of our maple trees. Don't even ask! We have some really beautiful trees on our property but we're most concerned about the maples. My favorite is a Japanese maple whose delicate leaves are purple most of the year, but then turn scarlet in the fall. Secondly we have this "big boy" sugar maple in front of the house that is spectacular. It has presence! In the fall there is nothing like it......the leaves turn this incredible pinky peach red color and it's glorious. In the summer it's leaf leaden branches provide a ton of shade. The tree that needs trimming the most though is a large leaf maple or Oregon maple. It's leaves turn yellow in the autumn, and towards the end of summer (like now) these winged pods appear that spin and flutter to the ground with the breeze. You should see the leaves on the tree.....the size of giant hands......or at least the size I'd imagine them being. I'm convinced trees like these are what made Oregonians fall in love with trees. So blindly in love that some cities passed laws about cutting them down. So, if you're thinking of moving to my city, think red tape if you want to remove trees and think arborist if you want them trimmed because not just anyone can trim a tree correctly!

But this is all beside the point of this post. The arborist commented on all the kids (I actually had my nephew over to play so there was one extra) and was really observant. He complimented me on all the children being happy (that can be a feat in itself, can't it?) and then said I must be a natural born leader. No one has ever said that to me in reference to my role as a mother. It makes sense, I think it happens to be true in my situation as I love to take charge, but does being a "leader" make one a mother? Is it a pre-requisite to having many children? I don't think so, but I think it helps. My pack better know what rank their mamma carries! :)

But what are the requisites of being a mother?.....not someone with the capability of bearing children, but one that nurtures children? Here's what I'm thinking. Patience. The ability to give of one's self. A heart that never stops overflowing. Ingenuity. Common sense. Self preservation. Intuition. Imagination. Control. Self respect. The ability to forgive and ask for forgiveness in return.

What do you think? What attributes make you a good mother?