The Struggles and JOYS of Motherhood & Family

Hello! :)

Yesterday was Mother's Day! :D And it was a WONDERFUL day!!!

I got to go to Relief Society with my wonderful and amazing daughter, Mindy... who spoke up and talked about me when they asked what we learned from our mothers, or how our mothers made an impact upon us... I am so blessed to have a daughter who DEEPLY loves and honors and loves me, privately AND publicly! I am so blessed and I love her so much!

It was also a really cool experience, because what she said was really quite similar to what I was thinking - about what MY OWN MOTHER has done for me - (which I briefly vocalized after my daughter – and wished I had not been taking notes up to the last second... so I could gather my thoughts better to honor my mother more when I spoke of her). I realized that my family has a heritage of generations of women who have loved the Lord fervently and above all else, with perfect consistency, and taught their children to do the same. I feel so very blessed that my daughter has me, and that I have my mother and that she in turn had hers (my grandmother Ruth, who passed away before I was even born – and who I feel I somehow know and love despite not having met her in this life).

I am SO THANKFUL for each one of these women and the connections we share! Those that came before, and those that come behind me! I am SO THANKFUL for the love that they have for God, and for me, and for each other. We are a blessed family! :)

I also feel deeply blessed to be in my family unit starting with Miles and I...

A wonderful and beautiful thing has happened to my psyche in the past couple of days. I have come to realize more fully what a TRULY HORRIBLE thing it would be if the marriage between Miles and I were dissolved. I see our family – SO CLOSE – SO HAPPY – And so secure in our unity! (I LOVE my family SO MUCH!) What a tragedy it would be, if the link that tied that unity together were severed! It would be like taking a bright, happy chain of togetherness and joy, and breaking each piece from the others... then letting them lose to float in space without light, gravity, or time... Such a lonely tragedy!

I don't know if I can adequately describe what has gone on in my mind. I don't know that I will attempt it. But I am content to say that as I took just a moment to wonder what life would be like if Miles and I ceased to be together, I realized that EVERYTHING would change, and not at all for the better! Oh what a tragedy it would be for our entire family... for Miles and I as a couple, and also for our children and family unit! Though, during bleak moments of struggle in the past I could... I can now NEVER entertain the idea! I will never leave Miles and could never let him leave me!

In church today, there were things said in both Sacrament meeting and in Relief Society which solidified these thoughts and feelings and caused my new testimony to take root and grow very large and strong!

Karen Jolly talked about the weather here in North Idaho in the spring... First we have a TON of SNOW! SNOW! SNOW! Followed by a peak of sunshine that makes you think it is over, but which ends as quickly as it begins, followed by MORE snow! Then, yet another peak of sunshine, followed by RAIN! RAIN! RAIN! She said that if you are new to NI you may worry that the sun will NEVER come out! But if you have lived here, you are calm and rest assured that it will. And you can assure the new comers that the sun WILL come out to stay! Spring WILL come!

This analogy was used to describe the life of a mother, and of how seasoned mothers can assure new mothers, that their work has meaning and their mothering goals WILL materialize! Things WILL improve! All the work IS worth it!

I reflected on how this is also true of a marriage... :)

In Relief Society the teacher had the word WORK written on the left side of the board. And we sisters listed the work involved in being a mother (dishes, laundry, teaching, fighting kids etc.). On the right side she had the word JOY, and we sisters listed some of the joys of motherhood (hugs, hearing “I love you” from our kids, seeing them accomplish milestones, seeing them love each other between fights lol). Later on, towards the end of the lesson, she added, “This reminds me of our Father in Heaven's 'WORK and GLORY.' ~ This” she said pointing to the words listed under the word work, “is OUR work. And this” she said, pointing to the words listed under the word JOY “is OUR glory.” I felt the Holy Spirit SO STRONG when she said that!

And again, I applied this not only to being a mother, but also to being a wife or husband, sister or brother, daughter, son, or friend...

Life is like that.

In anything we do, accomplish, become, etc. There is always a great deal of work and struggles involved in making it possible for wonderful things to happen. But FOCUSING ON the JOY makes the work A DELIGHT. No one said that at church today. I think it was more implied that the work was worth the joy. But to me, focusing on the joy MAKES the work a delight!

I'm certain that when Christ suffered in Gethsemane and on the cross for us, he did not say, “This is too hard. It is just not worth it.” Thank God He knew it was!

We all have our own crosses to bear.

They are all worth the sacrifice. :) I am certain of it.

I say these things with deep gratitude to my Father in Heaven for teaching me. And I say them with certainty, peace, and joy ... in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.