For those of you who have more than one child, you will understand just how competitive children can be when it comes to mom.

There’s the fighting to be the one who mom loves the most; the one who mom will rock-rock with first; the one who mom will tuck into bed first; etc.

For some reason, there’s never the race to see who could irritate mom the most. Interesting. I think I might have won that race a few times, beating out my sister by a few minutes.

For my household, with one teenage daughter and two tornadoes — I mean sons, there are sometimes two competitions going on at the same time. You have our oldest who sits back, bides her time, waits for the boys to go to bed with an early bedtime and the capitalizes on all the momma loving she can rack up in the extra hour or so.

For the two that lay destruction to most things, I mean the boys, it’s neck and neck each day, fighting for the next story, fighting for the next hug, looking to one up the other.

But in each case, I can never tell who the winner is. I wait and see who will cross the finish line first, get the extra kiss, the extra hug, the second cookie when others aren’t watching, and for the life of me I haven’t caught it yet.

Then I remembered, Stephanie is a mom; there are no favorites. Each child is hers and comes with a connection not even a father can fully appreciate.

Heck, the title mom itself is not one easily earned. There’s a reason why labor is titled “labor.”

For a mom, love is unconditional and limitless. While a mom will get frustrated, tired and maybe a bit short with her children, there’s never an ounce of love lost.

For me growing up, I cannot think of a time when my mother was not there when I truly needed her and for our kiddos, there’s not been a time when Stephanie has not been there for them.

There have been times when she has gotten up early, well ahead of the children, to make sure school clothes were laid out and backpacks ready. And, there have been times when she has stayed up late to make sure a softball jersey and socks were dried for an early morning game.

I have said in columns before that I have been lucky in love with my wife. But my children are beyond blessed when it comes to the mother God blessed them with.

It is a joy to simply be in a position to see it.

Happy Mother’s Day, Stephanie, and to all of the mothers out there.

Tim Reeves is editor of The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached by email at tim.reeves@vicksburgpost.com.