"Hey, what do you want to be when you grow up?"I asked my friend, imagining she'd say doctor or lawyer, perhaps a nurse orteacher.

"A mom," she replied. I stared at her blankly.

"A mom?" I said, caught off guard.

I started to think -a mom. What a job. They don't even get minimum wage, yet their job is possiblythe most challenging of all. They handle paperwork even though they're not in anoffice. They don't teach at a school, yet are constantly teaching their childrenand helping with homework. They're on call 24 hours a day and tend to patientswhen needed. All this!

I started to think about my mom. That woman musthave been crazy to be willing to give birth and have a little human being to carefor for the rest of her life! Could she possibly have understood what the jobentailed?

She helped me grow up (my dad did, too). When I was being pottytrained, I remember her waking me up each night before she went to bed to makesure I went to the bathroom, like a good girl.

She fixed my hair in aponytail each day and bought me pretty dresses, my favorite a white and black onewith little pink flowers on it. She taught me to walk, talk and play games. Sheloved me enough to send me to school so I could get smart. Each night she helpedwith my homework. She made my lunch for school every day and a few times, she puta note in reminding me how special I was to her, and how much she loved me. Thatput a smile on my face for the rest of the day. Other days she would use herartistic ability and draw a little mouse or a smiley face on my lunch bag.

And she fought the grass and Kool-Aid stains on my clothes when she didthe laundry. All that work, and no one paid her one cent. I'm telling you, she'scrazy!

When I was sick, she would stay by my side. She'd make me chickensoup and put crackers in it just the way I liked. She'd get me juice and makesure I was warm enough. For a week during freshman year, I was very ill. I juststayed on the couch, and could not hold down any food. My mom took time off fromwork to be my nurse. I could tell she was upset when I didn't feel good, andsometimes she would tell me if she could be sick for me she would do it. It's anincredible feeling to know someone loves me the way she does.

Now thatI'm 17, I don't count on her to make my lunch, do my hair or the other littlethings I always took for granted. She makes me do them myself. I'm notdisappointed, though - she's just teaching me responsibility. It's hard work tobe organized and get my chores done, on top of laundry and homework, but since Ithink this is hard, I can't imagine what it is like for her to do all that plusraise me.

A few months ago, my mom and I took a road trip to Vermont tolook at a college. I didn't know what we were going to talk about for six hoursin the car. We left at four in the afternoon and talked all the way there, andhad a good time. We took turns driving because she was tired after working. Westayed in a hotel, and it was fun just being with her. The next day, after wetoured the school, we hit the road again for our journey home. After a whilethere was a lull in the conversation. My mom broke the silence and said, "Ilove you, honey, and I'm so proud of you. You're such a good kid, and I'm luckyto have you as a daughter." That made my day. In fact, it made my life. Tohear her say that meant so much, I'll never forget it, ever.

My parentsalways say their only responsibility is to get me to 18 safely, but my mother'sdone more than just help me grow up safely. She's shown me how to love and carefor others the way she loves and cares for me. I can see myself acting more likeher each day, yet I'm still my own person. She's given me a shoulder to cry on,and she's my Band-Aid when I'm hurting. She's taught me how to be myself and beproud of who I am in this crazy, mixed-up world, even though she herself thinksI'm a little nutty. She has shown me the unconditional love that we allneed.

Next time someone asks me what I want to be when I grow up, I'llprobably reply, "A mom." I'll say this because I now know what animportant job it is, and I can't wait for the day my children can appreciate mefor the role I play as their mother and all the responsibilities itincludes.

I love my mom more each day. I know she's proud of me and theaccomplishments she's helped me achieve, and I'm proud to call her my mom.