Are you a mother? Well, I’ve got fabulous news for you! You can still take the Motherhood Matters challenge by KSL’s “Studio 5” at http://motherhood.ksl.com/challenge/
I read about this last week in an email and I LOVE IT! Each day they share a tip for helping you to recognize, experience, and share how motherhood matters to you. Among others, I’ve sent an email, expressed my love to my mother, and listed what I do well as a mother (to be used in case of emergency or a terrible, horrible, very bad, no good day).
Today’s challenge is to blog about what I love about motherhood, and can I tell you, there is not enough room!! Many days it is a mix of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and don’t let anyone tell you different. But the ultimate, amazing, fantastic truth is that it is THE greatest privilege on the planet. To create, nurture, and love human life is beyond description. And to think that a loving Father in Heaven trusts us, including me, to His children is beyond my comprehension.
I love, love, love the memory makers–the moments that stay with me and develop us and keep us laughing or remembering why families are the best. And they happen all the time, and usually with the least planning.
Just yesterday, my daughter and I were talking on the bed about school. I had a thought about being a mom, shared it with her, then she added a thought and before you know it, we had a FANTASTIC idea for a young adult novel. We couldn’t talk fast enough, and I couldn’t write fast enough, to get all the ideas down. That kind of spontaneous synergy, between mother and daughter, is priceless!
I thrive on being a mother. Even when it’s completely frustrating (as in last night, trying to have family night and we had to STOP AND SEND EVERYONE TO BED because it was so ridiculous). Even when I’m exhausted (think six children, four and under, AND NO ONE IS SLEEPING). And even when I feel I can’t take one more step (that’s when I usually find out I’m pregnant with the next), it’s still the greatest thing going, hands down.
Why? Because being a mother is the ultimate gift, even if we don’t bear a child. Because mothering is a universal opportunity for all of us. Because learning to become the best mother we personally can be is the challenge of a lifetime and beyond.
But mostly, it’s because I love the gift of being able to rub shoulders with and learn from and love fully these amazing, fantastic people who think I’m fabulous too (most days). And that I get to be a part in shaping and helping and nurturing these wonderful spirits. It’s fun, hilarious, tragic, adventurous, energizing, and exciting, all at different times.
At Women’s Conference, Sister Julie B. Beck talked about motherhood and how it’s not something outdated, something that can be delegated, or put aside. And thankfully so. Because it’s through the killer days and joyful seasons that we as women become who we are meant to be.
How grateful I am for my beautiful, loving children, who think it’s normal to give me foot rubs and think I’m the best cook in the world (they’ll find out soon enough).
Today, I encourage you to take the challenge and blog or email about why you love being a mother. And I encourage you to be part of the KSL’s live studio audience on Friday (for all you locals!) at the Hale Center Theater to talk about how Motherhood Matters to you. Fun gift bags and prizes and a great topic, I’ll be there!!
All my best,
Connie
I love being a mother, I remember daydreaming about being a mother when I was really young, how fun it would be to cook dinner, change diapers, carry the babies on my hip, rock them, dress them and play with them. It is rather strange, how after I became a mom, my perception changed and all that I had dreamed of became a chore. I felt I recieved no recognition and started looking outside myself for fulfillment. I thought if I could make a difference in the outside world, then I would be happy. I discovered after years of “trying” to be someone; that I had always been that someone. I realized that the joy, peace and passion are inside of me, part of me and that being a mom is my dream! I have other gifts and talents that I will continue using, but I am learning that the rocking and kissing and holding and playing go by fast and I choose to enjoy every second of it! I am finally enjoying the gifts, being a mother brings! I dont want to miss out on anymore, thinking I was missing out 🙂