Motherhood

I view this blog as a kind of journal for me and an account of our family life for posterity. This would be one of those entries that I would want my children to read in the future so that they will always know how I feel about motherhood, but I also welcome everyone else to read it as well. A favorite quote of mine is something to the effect of "If you treat a man [child] as he is, he will remain as he is.  If you treat him as he potentially could be, he will become what he ought to be."  This quote by Goethe was definitely not quoted correctly, but you get the idea.  I have often felt it is one of my roles as a mother to find the talents, positive characteristics, and especially the budding testimony in each of my kids and then to emphasize each of those things so that my kids will be better able to recognize how wonderful he or she is.  I was noticing a couple of things about my kids a few weeks ago.  They both love to smile.  I love their smiles!  The interesting thing I noticed, however, was that their smiles affected me differently.  When Nicholas smiles at me, I can't help but just feel happier.  He has such a laid back personality that is pretty contagious.  Just being around him (generally) makes me so incredibly happy.  When Renae smiles at me, it is just so sweet that it makes me feel as if I have just received some precious little gift.  The fact that she loves me so much just makes me feel like I'm the most incredible person in the world.  I know both of my kids are so young that it's kind of difficult to pinpoint specific character traits, but these attributes may not be that far off the mark.  I'm a pretty laid back person, so it's not incredibly unusual that one of my kids might inherit that.  One of the things about Brandon that I love the most is his ability to talk to anyone and make that person feel important, so if Renae is like that, I wouldn't be surprised.  I can only hope that I can continue to discover things about my kids so that I can reinforce them.  I don't want my kids to ever wonder if they have any talents or if they are cool, especially when it comes to the teenage years.  I want to point them out and encourage them all along.  I subscribe to Daily Gems through the Church's website.  I received one yesterday that I really loved. Here it is:

Each Motherhood Situation Unique
Posted: 18 Dec 2008 01:00 AM CST
"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. The choice is different and unique for each mother and each family. Many are able to be 'full-time moms,' at least during the most formative years of their children's lives, and many others would like to be. Some may have to work part- or full-time; some may work at home; some may divide their lives into periods of home and family and work. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else."
M. Russell Ballard, "Daughters of God," Ensign, May 2008, 108

I love that I get to be a mom, and I am even more grateful to be the mother of my specific children. Even though I might feel overwhelmed at times, I try to remember that our family is unique and that Heavenly Father loves me so much that He felt that I was the right mother for my kids. It humbles me, but also makes me feel incredibly loved. I wanted to be a mom for such a (relative) long time, and I just want my kids to know that I will do all that I can to show them how important they are to me!