When the Good Lord was creating Mothers he was into his sixth day of overtime when the Angel appeared and said, "You're doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."

And the Lord said, "Have you read the specs on this order?  She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have 180 moveable parts, all replaceable, run on black coffee and leftovers, have a lap that disappears when she stands up, a kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair and six pairs of hands."

The Angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pair of hands, no way!" "It's not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord, "It's the three pairs of eyes that Mothers have to have." The Lord nodded, "One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks 'what are you kids doing in there?' when she already knows.  Another here in the back of her head that see what she shouldn't, but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in the front that can look at a child when he goofs and say, 'I understand and I love you,' without so much as uttering a word."

"Lord," said the Angel, touching his sleeve gently, "Come to bed, tomorrow..."

"I can't," said the Lord, "I am so close to creating something so close to myself.  Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick, can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger, and can get a nine year old to stand in the shower."

The Angel circled the model of a Mother very slowly, "It's too soft," she sighed.

"But tough!" said the Lord excitedly, "You cannot imagine what this Mother can do or endure."

"Can it think?"

"Not only think, but it can reason and compromise," said the Creator.

Finally, the Angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. "There's a leak," she announced, "I told you you were trying to put too much into this model."

"It's not a leak," said the Lord, "It's a tear."

"What is it for?"

"It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness and pride."

"You are a genius!" said the Angel.