Skip to main content

Where Mother Is...




A while ago I was trying to make an important decision about a significant opportunity in my life. It would have been a dream come true for many people and it seemed too good to pass up. The only problem was that no matter how I tried to make it work, it would require a significant amount of time away from my growing family.

I prayed, stewed and turned it over in my mind. One day I was driving home and I looked up to the mountain. Something caught my attention that I had never noticed before. Going down the mountain was a line of trees surrounded by brown – brown being the common color in our arid climate. I knew they were following a water line and that that was the only way for trees to grow in this mountain desert. And then suddenly I had a thought flash into my mind: “where mother is, children grow.”

This was a decision maker for me. I knew that as much as I wanted this opportunity and as much as it “made sense” in every conceivable way, it was not right because I would be depriving my children of the mother’s presence needed for their growth.

Children need attention, they need nurturing, they need a mother who cares and who is available. We can so easily be busy with our occupation, with our social gatherings or with our volunteer work. But children need mother. They need her around.

I found this unattributed quote in a talk by President David O. McKay: “True motherhood is the most beautiful of all arts, the greatest of all professions. She who can paint a masterpiece, or who can write a book that will influence millions, deserves the admiration and plaudits of mankind; but she who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters, whose immortal souls will exert an influence throughout the ages long after paintings shall have faded, and books and statues shall have decayed or have been destroyed, deserves the highest honor that man can give, and the choicest blessings of God.”



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

God Isn't Finished With Him Yet

 When my husband was in graduate school we attended a meeting where a distinguished man spoke. He had been successful professionally, was happily married to a lovely woman, and was the father of a very large family. He spoke eloquently of his life and at one point, he posted a picture of himself as a teenager in his presentation. A wild-looking young man with long, fringed hair flashed on the screen. This picture looked nothing like the clean-cut, well-dressed man before us. The man related that in high school he had gone through a rebellious phase and this haircut reflected that time and attitude. Once, a woman had made a comment to his mother about her son's outlandish haircut and ways. His mother, irked by the comment, retorted "Maybe, God isn't finished with him yet!" I loved that phrase. This mother saw potential in her son and had hope for his future. She knew that with God, change is always possible. Another mother who I love is St. Augustine...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Avoid Being a "Screaming Monkey Parent"

This photo is hitting a little too close to home.  Especially in the summertime with all of our children at home.  Yes, we love our children but we don't always feel capable of parenting them.  In our home this summer we have five boys, one girl, and untold numbers of little friends tracking dirt through our house.  We can go from nice to frazzled, bleary-eyed, and ranting in about an hour.  And often it is our spouses or children who pay the price.  So, what can we do to keep our cool when the days get long and hot?  One key, according to Psychology Today  is prevention.  And prevention means managing our stress before  it gets to epic levels. Here are some things you can do to recharge your batteries so that you don't fizzle out - and hey, you can remember these things using the word "recharge."  Now that's an added bonus! Rest : Go to bed before 10:30.  Get seven to eight hours of sleep.  Our tempers flare more easily ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Teaching Children Chores May be a "Chore," But Here's Why It's Worth It

Partially-shoed son attempts to accelerate his chores. Promptly at 5:30 a.m., our children jump out of bed. We hear the quiet sounds of singing as they cheerfully get dressed, tidy their rooms, and begin their household tasks. They tiptoe up to our room with a wonderful homemade breakfast. With satisfaction we hear the vacuum running and enjoy the fresh scent of lemon cleaner as we sit in bed, reading books, and eating waffles made from scratch. Ha! Have we gone delirious? Yes. As any parent knows, getting children to work is serious work.  In our home chore time brings a chorus of whining and complaining, sometimes accompanied by tears.  Some children flee for the sanctuary of the bathroom.  Others try the camouflage technique of blending into the couch and hoping we won't notice.  But we try to hold firm to our summer deadline - chores must be done by eleven a.m., and before they play with friends or do anything fun, chores must be complete. Sometimes we fee...
1 comment
Read more