[The following in an excerpt from Motherhood Matters: Joyful Reminders of the Divinity, Reality, and Rewards of Motherhood, by Connie Sokol. Purchase links are found below.]
“As a “lioness at the gate”—in the words of Sister Julie B. Beck—we are protectors and caregivers, watching over our children.
This is not overbearing or hovering—it is proactive, involved, and aware. Whether it’s positively monitoring our children’s online activities, cell phones, and friendships, or tracking media in our homes, “lioness” moms are vigilant and determined.
Thankfully, the Lord will alert our instincts as we pay attention. One day while asking my son what he had been doing for the past hour, I noticed two things: he had been supposedly doing homework without a reminder, and he was unusually talkative and cheerful. Something was up. With that inner mother radar, I felt suddenly to check his cell phone. This led to a fabulous learning experience and a perfectly timed intervention to what could have been a not-so-great situation.
Elder Todd D. Christofferson paid tribute to his mother about the well-timed stop to his potential “life of crime” when as a child, he stole a candy bar due to peer pressure from friends. Her diligent handling of the situation—having him not only return but earn the money—and instructive lesson on repentance, stayed with him for many years.
Small interventions make a tremendous future impact, and early awareness prevents a great deal of future misery. President Hinckley told how years ago while working at a railroad he received a call that a train had arrived without its baggage car. With some research he discovered that a switchman had incorrectly moved the train switch about three inches. This made the train car go on the wrong track for 1300 miles.
Involved. Intuitive. Intervening. That’s what we do as mothers—checking the train switches to keep our children on track.
As lionesses, we watch and listen for any potential predator, inside or out, then swiftly acting to keep our cubs safe and sound.
And though we do it kindly, we make no apologies. For these are our children and we know we are lionesses at the gate—a word of warning to those who approach!”
[We hope you enjoyed this excerpt from Motherhood Matters: Joyful Reminders of the Divinity, Reality, and Rewards of Motherhood. Only 