As a parent, I appreciate occasions that recognize the day-to-day efforts involved in raising children. Such events are a confirmation that these efforts have intrinsic value and contribute positively to our community and our future.

On Saturday (March 7) all local moms will have the opportunity to participate in a unique community program that does just that.

Since 1998, family friendly organizations in Palo Alto have pooled their resources to produce the Palo Alto Mothers Symposium. This gathering of local mothers validates the complexity of parenting day to day. It helps mothers of all kinds to reconnect with our shared wisdom, joys, challenges, solutions, and it affirms this fundamental, essential and deeply worthwhile life experience. The symposium will be 8:30 a.m. to noon at Stanford University's Cubberley Auditorium; admission is $20.

I first attended the Mothers Symposium in 2007 to hear Mary Pipher, the well known author of "Reviving Ophelia," deliver a talk entitled, "In the Shelter of Each Other."

I did not know what to expect, and chose to attend the event primarily to see Pipher. But as soon as I arrived I could feel there was more happening in the room than just a presentation.

Women were clustered in small, relaxed groups drinking coffee and munching on muffins. A mom I knew came up and embraced me with a big hug. The leader of a parenting-education class I had taken came up and embraced me, too.

About 20 minutes later we took our seats. The program opened with Mary Ruth Quinn, a local mom and pastoral counselor, who led a thoughtful gratitude meditation. We began by closing our eyes and taking a few deep breaths. She asked us to envision whoever had helped us attend the event that day, and encouraged us to extend our gratitude further. Mary Ruth evoked a sense of spirit and connection among us without being heavy handed or religious. She uniquely framed this gathering of mothers by affirming a common set of values that was warm, compassionate and uplifting.

Mary Pipher told stories about families in her practice and explained the difficult challenge presented by our culture's media blitz of materialistic messages that compel families to work incredibly hard to keep up with ever-new consumer standards.

She reminisced about her childhood in the Midwest, which was challenging in its own right but still provided a framework for her and her family to connect meaningfully with each other and with their community.

As I sat listening to her words, I felt like I belonged. For one of the first times as a mother, I felt like someone recognized my experience and was helping me understand how it related to a bigger picture.

It was 2007 and I was 35. I was at home full time with my two daughters, Chloe (1) and Gwendolyn (2 1/2). Neither daughter was in school, and the highlight of my week was a regular "playdate" with a few girlfriends who had children the same ages. I spent many long days between playdates alone with my kids, and it took a long time for me to get regular child care.

Overall, my experience was isolating and emotionally challenging.

Since that time I've spoken with many moms about their experiences raising children. Across the board, whether moms are working at work or at home, parenting teens or parenting toddlers, we all struggle with stress and we all long to know if we're "doing the right thing."

It is in this concept of "the right thing" where we get frustrated and confused. We become our own obstacles, and start over, again and again.

What we want is for our children to grow up and be compassionate contributors, people who know how to love and who have the skills and resilience to make a difference the world using their own unique gifts.

But what we spend most of our time thinking about is how to get them to sleep through the night, or eat their vegetables, or do their homework, or get into the right school, or — fill in the blank for yourself.

Sitting in the audience at that Mothers Symposium I understood how all those diaper changes, feedings, dinner-bath-bedtime routines, contributed to a global good and how, as a parent, I was part of a team whose role is to do nothing short of making the world a better place.

For it is in these daily struggles that each of us plants the good seeds of love, compassion, and forgiveness. It is by seeing our children with love and clarity that we help our children recognize their unique gifts. And it is in doing it day after day after day that we teach them to become resilient — by becoming resilient ourselves.

But it's hard to remember all that. And so we are lucky to have Mothers Symposium. This year the committee has invited mother, author and Buddhist priest Karen Maezen Miller to speak on, "Momma Zen: Finding peace and patience in the Everyday." Drawing on her combined wisdom as a mother and priest, Miller will lead a session that teaches how to see the joy and ease in everyday situations, and to find timeless love in the here and now.

Since 1998 Mothers Symposium has made its mission to provide inspiration and affirmation for mothers at all stages through stories, learning, companionship and reflection. And it is one of the few opportunities we have to experience motherhood as part of a collaborative spiritual effort.