Mother’s Day is today and in my book all mothers should be honored, regardless if you have raised one child or twenty. You are still a mother even if you’ve never given birth to any children but raised them just the same. Anyone with responsibility for any children as aunt, sister, cousin or friend are considered a mother and should be honored. Those who sacrificed their time and talents to be the care giver of the small people not able to take care of themselves has achieved Nobel Prize status.
Although I do love to promote the positive, sometimes life doesn’t hand it to you that way. “Keeping it real” as some might be known to say reminds us of the realities of life including and especially for mothers.
For example a story came from one family which may sound familiar to many of you. “Today Child Number One was home with a fever. Cutting vegetables to make soup, I cut my thumb and started to bleed all over. Child number 2 (who is 2 years-old and naked) is frightened by the blood and poops all over the kitchen floor. Child Number 1 starts screaming that he needs me right now.” Sound familiar to anyone?
Regardless of what mothers have experienced, they are important to their own children. Of women and mothers, President Gordon B. Hinckley once said from the 2004 Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting. (“Standing Strong and Immovable,” Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, Jan. 10, 2004, 21.)
“We must never lose sight of the strength of the women. … It is mothers who most directly affect the lives of their children. … It is mothers who nurture them and bring them up in the ways of the Lord. Their influence is paramount… They are the creators of life. They are the nurturers of children. They are the teachers of young women. They are our indispensable companions. They are our co-workers in building the kingdom of God. How great is their role, how marvelous their contribution.”
As a mother I have heard conversations like this after a quick trip to the store:
- “Nobody is doing school work.” (we homeschooled)
- “Isaac didn’t want to cut the lawn.” (My oldest son, 13 at the time)
- Tasha and Jena (neighbor child) were cheating at kickball.” (both 11)
- “Tasha didn’t want to cut the lawn.” (They were supposed to take turns)
- “Sarah (15) hit Caleb.” (8)
- “Caleb hit her back.”
- “Tasha hit Sarah with her PEZ dispenser.”
- “Isaac locked Caleb in the closet.”
- “Naomi (14) is touching everyone’s stuff.”
- “Everyone is yelling at Naomi.”
- “Naomi was walking backwards and ran into Sarah.”
- “Naomi shot Lydia (3) with a rubber band.”
From a talk by Russell M. Nelson about the sacred duty to honor women he quoted the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1935 when they stated: “Motherhood,” they wrote, “is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels.”
As a grandmother I have experienced many stressful and interesting experiences which any and all mothers could relate to in the many challenges of life. Grandmothers are not excluded.
A few years ago I was visiting my daughter and son-in-law to watch my two very active granddaughters, 5 and 3. I am lucky to have the time to watch over them as well as getting in some bonding time.
Unfortunately at the time, my daughter had a flu bug when I got there that Sunday and she was quickly trying to recover. Fortunately, she did recover and they were able to get on the road to their destination. Unfortunately, I ended up getting this 24-hour flu bug and I’m waited it out till it was done. Fortunately, I was able to get the two girls to bed by 8pm so try to recover by the next day. Unfortunately, it took them over an hour to settle down and go to sleep. Fortunately, they did fall asleep and I did the same.
To find more of Valerie’s articles, click here.
We laugh at our life’s surprises with children but those mothers who really know what is important and honor their role as a mother knows her sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness as it reads in The Family: A Proclamation to the World.
The true reality of life is mothers are of great worth in the world. They have a special calling to those whom they are in contact and they rejoice in their role as mother.
Valerie Steimle has been writing as a family advocate for over 25 years. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she promotes Christian living in her writings and is the mother of nine children and grandmother to twelve. Mrs. Steimle authored six books and is a contributing writer to several online websites. To her, time is the most precious commodity we have and knows we should spend it wisely.
To read more of Valerie's work, visit her at her website, The Blessings of Family Life.
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