I am a Mother!

I just finished reading this book, which I actually got for Mother's Day. It just goes to show that I am busy enough with being a mother that it took me a couple months to read a 127 page book. This actually is the first book that I have read for enjoyment since I finished school. I was so busy with reading when I was in school that I haven't read just for pleasure in a long time. So it was really fun for me to read this book, even though most times I could only get a couple pages or paragraphs in.

I can honestly say that I learned a lot from this book. The transition into motherhood is not always an easy one. I went from being extremely busy with school and never being home, to being stuck in a 2 bedroom apartment all day with seemingly nothing to do. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty to do, it is just that most of it seems meaningless, like laundry, ironing, cleaning, etc. Needless to say, it has been hard for me to not have people to socialize with. It has been hard for me to not have Matt around much. And it has been hard to be a mom.

One of the hardest things for me has been the pressure I feel from others, including family members, to be working. Matt works so hard, goes to school, and is so busy, that sometimes I let the pressures from other people get to me. I start to feel guilty that Matt is doing so much, and I am at home all day. But, I truly believe that I am doing the right thing. I know that in our situation right now I do not NEED to work. I am willing to give things up so that I can be at home and raise our beautiful daughter. Even though I know all of this, it has been hard for me to answer all of the questions of when I will start teaching, or what do I do all day. I find myself saying, "oh I am just staying home for now." People seem to think that I am wasting my education. I am so grateful for my education; I am grateful that my parents provided it for me, and I do not think I am wasting it. I learned so many things that I use every day, and if I ever do NEED to teach, then I have the ability to.

The most important thing this book taught me, is to not be ashamed of being a mom. Being a mom is probably the most important thing I will ever do in my entire life. I should be proud of it, and not meekly tell people that I am "just staying home for now." So, one of my goals is to let my testimony shine, and to be proud of my choice to stay home with Sydney, and to declare to the world that I am a mother!

If you have not read this book, I recommend it. Even if you don't have children, it really emphasizes that we are all mothers. Sheri Dew wrote the forward, and Jane Clayson Johnson, the author, quoted her in the book saying, "Every time we build the faith or reinforce the nobility of a young woman or man, every time we love or lead anyone even one small step along the path, we are true to our endowment and calling as mothers and in the process we build the kingdom of God. No woman who understands the gospel would ever think that any other work is more important or would ever say, 'I am just a mother,' for mothers heal the souls of men."

So, here I am to tell you, that I am a mother! I love being a mother. I am grateful to Matt for providing for our family so that I can stay home and be a mother. Being a mother is the most fulfilling thing of my life, even though sometimes it doesn't feel like it. There are times, when I haven't even showered for the day, and I've cleaned up the same mess 3 times, and the house looks like a mess, when I feel like I have not accomplished anything. But, when I look at Sydney I know that it is all worth it! Being a mom is the best thing in the whole world. So, thank you to everyone who has influenced my life and been a "mother" to me. It is so neat that we can all be mothers to each other and influence each others lives for the better, and I am so grateful for it.