No bond is tighter than the one between mother and child. Mothers bring us into the world, dry our tears and scold us when we do wrong. But it is never easy. Along with the rich rewards of motherhood, there are unexpected challenges, uncertainties and lessons about life. To better understand that, we asked a diverse group of women to share their experiences and tell us, on Mother’s Day, why they love being a mom. 

The new mom

Laila Adres, right, wasn’t planning on having a baby this soon. The 21-year-old manager at Taco Bell in Wahiawa was just too busy, getting up at 5 a.m. to commute from her home in Kalihi. But as she cradled her sleeping 2-day-old daughter, Lea Jane Laforteza, Adres couldn’t think of anything better than motherhood. "It’s amazing," she said. Adres will enjoy two months of maternity leave before returning to work at a Taco Bell closer to home in Kalihi. She and her boyfriend, Albert Laforteza, plan to get married once they have enough money and hope to have more children. This photo of mom and newborn was taken May 1.

The mom who waited

As kumu hula of Halau Hula ‘o Kaho‘oilina Aloha, children have been a part of Maile Loo-Ching’s life for 16 years. But it wasn’t until six years ago, at the age of 43, that Loo-Ching decided it was time for her and husband Kirkland Ching to have one of their own. "When you have a baby in your 40s, it’s almost like starting a new life, which is very bizarre," she said. "You think, ‘I’m on my path, I have my career’ … but it’s like starting over. It’s been amazing." Their daughter, Kekupu, is a joy, Loo-Ching said. "We get to share so much just being mother and daughter," she said. "We are learning together. She has helped me learn how to be a better teacher because I’m basically trying these things with her and learning how to bring it to the halau." But it’s more than a mother-and-daughter relationship. "We have this life together which transcends just us — it’s about hula," Loo-Ching said. "It’s about passing on the culture and bonding families." They are seen here performing at the Hawaii Book and Music Festival May 2.

The hopeful mom

The worst part about Crystal Mauga’s time in prison hasn’t been the years she’s spent at the Women’s Community Correctional Center in Kailua. It’s that she’s spent much of that time as a mother away from her two children: Ayden, 3, and Aaliyah, 2. Mauga, 28, is doing time for drug convictions, and motherhood is limited to visiting hours. For a while, when Mauga’s parents brought Aaliyah for a visit, the girl didn’t know Mauga was her mother. "She didn’t recognize me," she said. "She wouldn’t come to me, look at me, touch me … nothing." Mauga hopes to be paroled this summer, find a stable living arrangement, attend therapy, get a job and begin to rebuild her life as a mother. Her dream is to move to Alaska with her children. "I really do love being a mother," she said. "I want to build a solid foundation this time, and I want to be a role model to my kids. I don’t want them to grow up and go through what I went through." Mauga and her children were photographed May 2 in the prison’s visiting room.

The mom who learned early

Devin Torres, 28, grew up in Atlanta in a household teeming with children. Her mother decided that four of her own children weren’t enough and became a foster parent. On any given day there were 15 children in the home, many of them from broken families rife with abuse, Torres said. The experience influenced the way she views motherhood and the way that she and her husband, U.S. Marine Gabriel Torres Nieves, want to raise their only child, Kimberly. When Torres talks about "Kimmie," 4, the stories flow nonstop. "When she was around 2 years old, she would introduce herself and say, ‘Hi, I’m a princess,’ which is so funny because me and my husband come from a mechanics background … so we’re not exactly a girly-girl household," said Torres, a Navy veteran who was born on Mother’s Day. "I literally think that her life is a musical because she sings songs from ‘Frozen’ all day long and even makes up songs when she’s mad at me." Torres kept an eye on Kimmie, center, during a birthday party for Brianna Kesterson, 5, at Lisa Rose Tea House April 25.

The patient mom

Ally Vaughn applied an ice pack to daughter Lillian’s head after she fell ill at the Scottish Festival held at McCoy Pavilion April 11. Vaughn is a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, whose members re-create medieval life, complete with swords and armor. Most women who join the group choose not to participate in mock battles, but spend time with the 33-year-old mother of two and you realize she’s a natural-born fighter. Vaughn, a science teacher at Ewa Makai Middle School who likes to dress up as a ninth-century Viking, said she grew up in an abusive home in Virginia. The experience had a profound impact on the way she’s raising her children: Lillian, 8, and Gabriel, 5. "The state took us away from our mom when I was 4, and I lived in about nine different foster homes until I was about 9 before I was adopted," she said. Vaughn’s children have taught her about patience. "It’s the little things such as learning to tie their shoes — which seems to take forever and always when you’re running late — or riding a bike, but then they do it and you’re so proud of them."

The organized mom

Kris Nakaoka’s face lights up when her triplets describe their mother: pretty, funny, loud, intelligent. "Organized" could easily be added to that list. Nakaoka, a 47-year-old single mother, coordinates all the activities for Scott, pictured left, Taylor and Mike, all 15. "We go kayaking, paddling, football, lacrosse, basketball, everything together. … Whatever it may be, I’m there for them," said Nakaoka, who teaches preschool. This entails a lot of driving, of course, but Nakaoka said she enjoys it because their time together is precious. "Everything goes so fast, and you just have to savor every single day," she said. "You think everything is a blur at the beginning. It’s just craziness and it still is crazy, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world." They were photographed May 5 at their Hawaii Loa Ridge home.

Lessons of love

Gail Muranaka had already given birth to a pair of healthy girls by the time her third daughter arrived in 1986. Katrina was a beautiful baby but when she was diagnosed with Down syndrome, Muranaka was caught off guard. No matter. Muranaka and her husband, Brian, raised their child just as they had her sisters. But it required more of them as parents, Muranaka said. “It was really challenging, especially in the beginning,” she said. “She was really slow to do things. But we just kept going and realized that it just takes her longer to learn.” Today, 

Katrina works part time at Safeway and is active in Special Olympics. Their mother-daughter relationship is full of laughter and hugs. “We are friends, but she knows that I’m her mom,” said Muranaka. “I learned a lot from her. I learned about patience. I learned about love … and kindness.”