I'll never forget my first Mother's Day. My son, C.J., was only three days old as I cradled him in my arms and whispered, "You're the best Mother's Day present ever." The day seemed surreal. How strange it all was - being someone's mom! We spent the day with our family, my own mom mothering me and marveling at her first grandchild. Each time someone said how lovely the baby was, I felt a swelling of pride and satisfaction at a "job well done."

But these maternal feelings did not start on Mother's Day. They surfaced nine months prior, on the day I found out I was pregnant and my image of myself was changed forever. The day I saw the positive sign on the pregnancy test was the beginning of my evolution as a mother. I began to take care of myself as though I were already holding my baby, and indeed, I was. My husband, Alvin, also began treating me differently. He became more protective of me and the life I was growing.

The nine months that led up to that first Mother's Day were long and challenging, yet not nearly enough time to prepare for the life-altering reality that it is to become someone's mom. But as I lay cuddled with C.J. on that first Mother's Day morning, his eyelids fluttering in sleep, I realized that this little person was an extension of myself, and I was ready for the transformation.

By my second Mother's Day, I felt much more at ease with my newfound role. After all, having survived a year with a baby made me a veteran mom deserving of a day in my honor. I did the honoring that year, though, making sure my own mom was treated especially well. After all, becoming a parent is the only way to truly appreciate and understand your own parents.

Mother's Day number three found us a few days pregnant with our twin daughters, Cassandra and Julianna. That day was magical; I felt full of anticipation and hope that I would become a mother for the second time, and later that year, I did. Cassie and Jules were born six weeks early after a six-week hospital stay to ward off preterm labor. The girls were born healthy, and all my angst and anxiety were chased away by fulfilled dreams and prayers. I learned how strong a mother can be when the safety of her children is in question - I would have done anything to give them the best shot at life possible.

That brings us to my fourth Mother's Day. Though I have not yet celebrated it, I can tell you that this year's celebration will be the most significant. I have so much to be thankful for as a mother: three healthy children who love me unconditionally. They are too young to know what Mother's Day is about, so this day is really for me to celebrate our life together, to revel in their smiles, to cherish being their mother.

This day will remind me just how in love with them I am. The day-to-day business of life can make it difficult to focus on all the things that make children so special, the joy they bring and the love they embody. I need that reminder.

And in case you need it, here's your reminder: never let motherhood take on such a feeling of routine that a glance at your children no longer leaves you in awe. Mother's Day is to honor all of us who claim the title; but it's also a day for mothers to honor the task that we have been given. It's nice if they're old enough to draw us a picture, offer flowers or give a gift. But the real joy of Mother's Day - no matter the age of your children - is to celebrate within ourselves the immense love that we feel for these beings we've created. And once you have the hang of that, isn't every day Mother's Day?