**Editor's Note: This column was originally printed May 5, 2011 and has only minor edits.
She was there in anguish as you entered the world.
She was there, in the kitchen, blurry-eyed at 2 a.m., warming up a bottle.
She was there an hour later, in a milk-stained shirt, rocking you back to sleep.
She was there as you took your first step — clutching the coffee table for dear life and trying not to fall down.
She was there to protect you from those evil things inside cabinets and drawers that seemed so tempting.
She was there to comfort you and wipe away the tears when you discovered the hard way that she was right after all.
She was there with her own tear-filled eyes as she dropped you off at preschool for the first time, then again as she left you at your desk the first day of kindergarten.
She was there, scurrying, to get you to ball practice on time, after resolving some last-minute issue at work. Then somehow, she whipped up a quick supper, bathed you and got you to bed on time.
She was there, in the stands, for your first game and each one thereafter, congratulating you on the hit and encouraging you after a strikeout. She was there to get the green out of those grass-stained pants and make sure you were nice and neat.
She was there to Peroxide and Neosporin a fresh wound from a bicycle mishap. Somehow her touch and the Bandaid proved to be a cure-all.
She was there to make sure all the homework was complete, the lunch money was in the backpack and the permission slip signed.
She was there to organize and make sure that birthday party was a special one, even if time wasn't on her side.
She was there to help sell this product or that one, collect canned goods and teach the importance of giving.
She was there to absorb the verbal jabs during the teenage years.
Still, she was there to take you to the driving test and let go of the keys, though plenty of anxious moments would follow.
She was there to console and reassure you after your first breakup. She was there, in the bleachers, watching you shake the superintendent’s hand and accept that hard-earned diploma.
She was there to help you through that college application, making sure all the paperwork was filled out properly.
She was there during the emotional sendoff to college and, as difficult as it was, she let go.
She was there to deposit money when needed in that first checking account.
She was there to offer advice on taking this job or that one.
She was there to watch you marry ... and the suggestions continued.
She was there to keep that grandchild and made sure to spoil him or her rotten before sending them home.
She was there to prepare the holiday meal for the entire family and ensure it all went smoothly just as her mom had all those years.
She was there to make sure she wasn’t a burden when her health began to fail, continuing to put herself last and your feelings first.
You name it, she was there.
One of God's greatest gifts is a mom.
Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there, especially mine, my wife and mother-in-law.
For 41 years, my mother has been there for me through good times and bad times.
And there have been plenty of both.
She’s the kindest person I know, and I’m fortunate to call her Mom.