Children learn by example from everything a mother does for us. Being a mother is a lifelong career, and a good mom wears many hats. In fact, being a mom is like running a business, for many reasons:

• Mom, the CEO -- she lets you know who's boss.
• Mom, the vice president -- she allows Dad to have a say, once in a while.
• Mom, the treasurer -- remember those days when we needed money for field trips, milk money and overdue books?
• Mom, the secretary -- always kind enough to write down all those phone messages.
• Mom, the bookkeeper -- handling many of the family finances and paperwork.
• Mom, the quality control manager -- she can do a root cause analysis of the situation and ensure resolution.
• Mom, the event coordinator -- how does she manage the kids, Little League, CCD, soccer practice, scouts, organ lessons, after-school pickup and evening events?
• Mom, creative director -- baking cookies, holiday decorating, making greeting cards, teaching crafts.
• Mom, the production analyst -- keeping kids busy, even in the summers, and making sure homework is done.
• Mom, the humanitarian -- teaching children to value what we have and help those in need.
• Mom, the trainer -- reading, writing, the basics of math ... that is only the beginning.
• Mom, the communications manager -- she teaches manners, how to write thank-you notes, to value other people's time as much as our own, and to treat everyone as equal.

My mother's greatest accomplishment and career is being a mom. I am an adult now, and realize that my mother did an excellent job with the three of us. I have my own business, and find myself recalling all of those good business practices I learned from her.

Mom taught us those really important life lessons that helped prepare us for our formal education and all the experiences we will encounter on life's journey. I enjoy my work, but I am sure it is only a stepping stone for what will one day be my most fulfilling job.

Thanks, Mom -- you are the best!

Donna McGuire lives in New York City. She grew up in Catskill, where her mom, Bridie, still lives.