Mother's Day falls on May 10 2009 this year. I was thinking about my own Mom and how much she did for us back then. One of her favorite phrases was "Just wait till you have kids of your own!" when we were really trying her patience.

Of course, I'd not really grasp that until the day I found myself uttering the same phrase to my own child. I saw Mom chuckling gleefully out the corner of my eye. If she'd done a victory lap round the living room, I wouldn't have blamed her. Mom did so much for us unappreciative kids!

I've learned a lot in life from my Mom. Aged around five, I learned that trying to help was always appreciated because you did it with the best of intentions. Even if that was salt you topped up the sugar bowl with.

When I was ten, I learned that her constant chiding about road safety wasn't just nagging. After being knocked down by a car one summer's evening because I was daydreaming, I listened. In my teens Mom taught me less was definitely more when it came to make up,especially if I was within sight of my Dad and didn't want to be hauled back in to remove half of it.

In the transition to adulthood, she was there through the rites of passage that are a part of life. From agonizing about friends, exams results and love to that first day of work and everything thereafter right up until today, there she was. Mom has always been a place of safe shelter in the tumultuous times of my life and fun to be around in the good ones too. I'm blessed in that I still have both my parents and can pick up the phone anytime.

I'm in awe of the sheer enormity of the largely thankless all-encompassing role my Mom had. Day in, day out, she was nurturing and taking care of a home and family of four while my Dad worked hard to support us all. Rarely did I ever hear a word of complaint. My Mom's a smiler. She can always see the good in people and faces every day with a ready smile.

It's just struck me how many Moms have done the same for their children all over the world, with no expectations of thanks, acknowledgement or reward (though it would be nice occasionally!), simply hoping that in the end their children will turn out ok. They're doing the best they can day to day. No one can ask anymore than that from anyone. Talk about unsung heroes! There's probably one in your house right now and you don't even notice it.

Moms rule. It's a fact. And thankfully that's the way of the world.