Do you ever feel as a mother that you are living the same day over, and over, and over? I had been feeling like that a lot in the past several weeks until a couple of days ago. It was Saturday morning and Robert was still gone at a Young Mens campout so it was up to me to do Saturday chores with the kids. As each of the kids was picking which jobs they wanted to do, Ashton (my 4 year old) piped up "I will do all the toilets!" So we got all the cleaning supplies out and went into the first of our 4 bathrooms. As I instructed him on all the steps to successfully cleaning a toilet, I observed the absolute joy and satisfaction on his face. Never mind that he was splashing toilet water all over or missing the cleaning of other parts, because I was not going to ruin the absolute glee on his face! As I continued encouraging him and complimenting him about how smart he was and what an amazing job he was doing, I thought maybe I could actually see his little spirit grow. I was filled with tremendous feelings of duty, love, happiness, and empowerment as his mother because it wasn't just a toilet; it was a lesson in responsibility, the importance of work, being an integral part of our family, and gaining self esteem. And I was blessed to be the teacher. Although it is rare for me to feel this fulfilled when doing chores with one of my children (usually the very opposite in fact), I have always felt incredibly vital and powerful in my job as a mother to love, teach, and guide my children. How I wish every mother could know that all of the tiny, seemingly meaningless things she does each day, are actually the BIG and VITALLY important things of life. What could be more important and divine than being responsible for teaching and guiding some of Heavenly Father's children? Ever since then, I have been trying to see my daily life as more than just monotonous things that I must endure, but instead of shaping a soul, showing a child unconditional love, growing self confidence, and planting the seeds of independence. I love being a Mother.
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| Lead Me, Guide Me, Walk Beside Me |
Do you ever feel as a mother that you are living the same day over, and over, and over? I had been feeling like that a lot in the past several weeks until a couple of days ago. It was Saturday morning and Robert was still gone at a Young Mens campout so it was up to me to do Saturday chores with the kids. As each of the kids was picking which jobs they wanted to do, Ashton (my 4 year old) piped up "I will do all the toilets!" So we got all the cleaning supplies out and went into the first of our 4 bathrooms. As I instructed him on all the steps to successfully cleaning a toilet, I observed the absolute joy and satisfaction on his face. Never mind that he was splashing toilet water all over or missing the cleaning of other parts, because I was not going to ruin the absolute glee on his face! As I continued encouraging him and complimenting him about how smart he was and what an amazing job he was doing, I thought maybe I could actually see his little spirit grow. I was filled with tremendous feelings of duty, love, happiness, and empowerment as his mother because it wasn't just a toilet; it was a lesson in responsibility, the importance of work, being an integral part of our family, and gaining self esteem. And I was blessed to be the teacher. Although it is rare for me to feel this fulfilled when doing chores with one of my children (usually the very opposite in fact), I have always felt incredibly vital and powerful in my job as a mother to love, teach, and guide my children. How I wish every mother could know that all of the tiny, seemingly meaningless things she does each day, are actually the BIG and VITALLY important things of life. What could be more important and divine than being responsible for teaching and guiding some of Heavenly Father's children? Ever since then, I have been trying to see my daily life as more than just monotonous things that I must endure, but instead of shaping a soul, showing a child unconditional love, growing self confidence, and planting the seeds of independence. I love being a Mother.
4 comments:
So very true and beautiful. Ashton I am very proud of you! Papa
There is nothing more precious than seeing light through a child's eyes. Yesterday at mutual little Henry Ihrig (7 yrs) came with his Mom to watch the young men & women play walley ball (volleyball inside a racquetball court). I saw him watching through the glass and asked if he wanted to play. We put him in the rotation and when it was his turn to serve we let he try again and again until he got it over the net. His next turn to serve he scored 6 points and you couldn't believe the glee on his face. Little shy Henry was just beaming! That was the highlight of our whole activity.
Sometimes it's the little things that are the most meaningful and special.
I love you being a mother to be grandchildren and wife to my son. Glad you captured that joy in Ashton's accomplishment and satisfaction. For that image will always be a reminder of that joy that you felt in being a mother.
So beautiful said!
You are a wonderful mother.
Teaching and encouraging your children are some of the best things any parent can do for a child.
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