Magnificent mumsWhat is it that makes a mum so special? It can be anything, from always being there when they need a cuddle and turning around a difficult relationship to make it strong to doing everything in your power to get what you most desire. Read on for some inspirational stories on magnificent mums.An inspirationA mother can be a wonderful inspiration to her children. Her actions, words and beliefs can help instil a certain way of being, of living, which will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Think of the amazing mother-of-three Jane Tomlinson who, despite being diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2000, refused to be a victim of her disease, choosing instead to raise over £1 million for charity in a series of marathons and other athletic challenges. Her determination carried her through seven years of life until her death in September 2007. In an emotional tribute to his wife, Jane's husband Mike commented: "Always accepting of her fate, she prayed not for a miracle cure but only to find peace. Her prophetic wisdom is a lasting legacy to the family. She was immensely proud of all three children. They brought her unimaginable joy. It was this love for them that drove her on to having chemo after chemo.' An earth motherIn today's environmentally fragile world, we have a certain responsibility to make our children aware of how our choices can positively - or negatively - affect the future of the planet. Through simple and easy actions - recycling newspapers and bottles and composting kitchen - and getting our children involved, we can help instil in them a sense of responsibility for their planet. One woman who does this with great humour and not a sermon in sight is mother-of-four Janey Lee Grace, author of Imperfectly Natural Woman and Imperfectly Natural Baby and Toddler and radio presenter on BBC 2's Steve Wright in the Afternoon. Last year Janey told babyworld that while she's committed to saving the planet, she's no die-hard eco-warrier. 'My family is really "imperfect" when it comes to being green, but we're trying hard with our composting and recycling and I'm religious about not using scary chemicals in anything around the house - cleaning, laundry, etc. No one gets new clothes in our house; the kids wear hand-me-downs and I'm charity-shop-chic. Oh how proud!' Read our interview with Janey here. A late-comerSometimes the bond between mother and child can take a long time to establish. However, as babyworlderAllyson told us, it's never too late to find that connection. 'My mum died suddenly when my first daughter was only four weeks old. Although I didn't get much time with her, she definitely made my transition to mummyhood much easier. We'd never really been close before Evie was born, but suddenly something clicked, where I understood her as a mother and she understood what I was going through. Evie couldn't latch on when she was born, and didn't until she was 10 days old. It was probably the hardest 10 days of my life, but it was my mum who understood what I was going through and kept me going. Breastfeeding was very important to me and I have my mum to thank for my success. So thank you very much Mum. I will always wish you were still here to help me along with both my children, but I'll always be grateful for the short time you were here.' A fighterMotherhood comes relatively easy to some of us - in a biological sense. However, many women aren't so fortunate, and struggle with years of infertility treatment and tests to try to obtain the thing they long for the most, as Babyworld moderators Dee and Carole know only too well. Eight years after having one child, Dee was broody for another. Unfortunately, falling pregnant was not as easy as her first time and she spent nearly two years undergoing tests, suffering from miscarriages, and seeing consultants to try to discover the problem. However, just before she was due to take Clomid, Dee became pregnant naturally and gave birth to a healthy daughter nine months later. 'The last couple of years of pain and heartbreak just melted away in that split second that my daughter was placed in my arms,' she told us. Carole's route to parenthood was equally - if not more so - torturous. She and her husband tried unsuccessfully for seven years to conceive, with heartbreaking attempts at IVF and frozen embryo transfer, before they decided to end that journey and embark on a new one: adoption. After several years of going through the process, being assessed as potential parents, and finally waiting to see if they would get their little bundle of joy, Carole and her husband became parents on 15 December 2006 to little baby Bea. Carole counts her blessings every day. 'I used to ask myself if there was life after infertility. I can adamantly say: YES THERE IS! It came to us in the form of adoption, with our little stick of dynamite, Baby Bea.' Read Carole's adoption story here A singletonFor many people, the word 'family' conjures up an image of a mum, a dad, and two-point-four children. However, these days families come in all shapes and sizes. Single parents, in particular are common. Being a single mum can have its difficulties - you have to be mother and father - but it can also have its joys as Natascha Mirosch told Babyworld. 'My single mother friends and I both pity and admire mothers who are partnered! How on earth do they find time to have a relationship, how do they share child-time, how do they solve the parenting-style clashes? In the final analysis, single parenthood doesn't present any more problems than in two-parent families, only different ones. I admit to trying that little bit more in my quest to disprove the outdated stereotype of the single mother but Noah is a happy confident, articulate child surrounded by adoring family and friends.' A human beingAll the above - and many more qualities - make a magnificent mum. However, the most important point is that magnificent mums aren't perfect mums! We're all human and therefore we all make mistakes, as babyworlder Fredi says: 'All mothers I know, in real life and on here, are doing the best they can, and really we are all just bumbling along, aren't we? We all make compromises and mistakes. Our children learn from these - it's better to make mistakes than to be such a perfect person that your child feels that they can never live up to your example.' From the mouths of babes: What do children think of their mums? Babyworlders share their most touching compliments! >>go to next page Where to next?Enjoy these other Mother's Day articles:
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