What makes a good mother?

Pretty much anyone who knows me will  tell you that I am never at a loss for words.  I enjoy a lively discussion, just for the sake of the discussion.   Oddly, enough though, when asked what makes a good mother, I was suddenly at a loss for words. My mind went through a thousand things that would make a good mom, but I couldn't put it into words.  Then I thought maybe I could give examples, but those were also too impossible to explain.  My brain whirled in a constant "pro and con" discussion, only written on the canvas of my mind.  I finally came to the conclusion that I have no more idea what makes a good mom than I do about the exact physical location of Heaven.  In either case, even if it could be measured, I wouldn't need to know the answer to receive the benefits. What, then, makes a good mom?  Love, I suppose.  That, in and of itself, is enough.  I have seen several examples of good moms in my life.  I am blessed  to have a great Mom, who loved us, taught us to read, and did her very best (OK, still does her very best) to be the best Mom she can be.  I was blessed for many years with a terrific mother in law, who is no longer with us, and is still loved and missed.  My Grandmothers raised loving families, the kinds of folks a fella is always proud to know.   Our kids are grown now, and their Mom and I did our best to raise, teach, and love them.  We still do.  3 of them are good moms, and I am sure the youngest will be a great mom too.  Even with all those examples in front of me, I can not put into words those qualities that make me love them so much, and why I am so grateful to have known them, so I will make it short:  Love your kids.  Teach them how to think and make good decisions.  Support their decisions once they make them, even if it is clear that you need to help them to make a better decision next time. That is the best I can come up with. I can only hope that if our kids are ever asked what makes a good mom, they can explain it better than their Ol' Man.