Dotsie..you wrote..interesting..that their sacrifices were noticed by their daughters and many of us chose to do differently. But dear Dotsie, when you read thru this thread..don´t you find that most of you wish "more" for your moms..that perhaps you don´t quite understand the way they lead their lives..eventho you are greatful to your moms for what they gave you..but maybe your moms didn´t want more for themselves..life was ok..more or less..it´s never perfect, is it?..my mom didn´t do too much sacrificing..which is comforting for me..but has left me with a big mamma hole. She lived life to the fullest as an individual,tho. And what did I do? I became a work at home mom for my 5 kids..my mom was a career woman with only me as her child. And NOW my adult children..the remaining 4..2 of them are very critical of the way I mothered them..not meaning smothered..but I used them as my social comapny and support, they say.. ..it´s so easy to have opinions about how are near and dearest should live their lives..but do we really KNOW?? As the mother of adult children..I find it very difficult at times with all the opinions or comments upon what I do or not do. I am ME..Humlan:mother, partner, colleague, friend and individual..and lots more, I suppose. Noone can see inside of me now, or in the past..not even my closest love ones..sometimes I can´t see inside of my own self, either

PS..thought over what I have written..and just want to say that it is written with love and respect for all of us, moms..and our moms that were moms to us in the best way they could in their time here on earth..it´s perhaps easier to SEE in hindsight? I don´t know and I don´t pretend to know