There are also mothers who have been widowed, divorced, or abandoned. Fathers aren't supposed to leave, but unfortunately some do. Even mothers whose marriages remain intact can face challenging times and choices. This may mean choosing to put their husbands through school, with no guarantee of reward or even gratitude for their sacrifices. It can mean choosing to face threats of layoff, bankruptcy and other forms of financial distress, or juggling home and a second job to prevent them.
Mothers frequently are also the spiritual leaders of their families.
My mother made sure my brothers and I went to church every Sunday, despite our father's outspoken disbelief in God. Years later, like my father, I married a woman whose faith was stronger than mine. And it was the mother of my children who inspired me to return and reclaim my inheritance among the children of God. For my wife this process took only a few short years. Not all mothers are saints, of course.