Mothers

The role of a mother is so important....to children, husbands, communities, societies, nations, and to God.

"Motherhood - It’s the highest, holiest service assumed by humankind. It’s the definition of selfless service. It’s both a daunting responsibility and a glorious opportunity. The divine role of motherhood is a gift from God, and key to His plan of happiness for all His children."  (See http://motherhood.mormon.org/.)

Rudyard Kipling said, "God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers."

Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, "When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses? When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution, formed outside telestial time. The women of God know this.  No wonder the men of God support and sustain you sisters in your unique roles, for the act of deserting home in order to shape society is like thoughtlessly removing crucial fingers from an imperiled dike in order to teach people to swim (See The Women of God)."

I have read a few books lately that have reinforced in my mind the importance of strong families, loving parents, and particularly caring mothers (see Little Princes and An Invisible Thread).  Strong families can truly be the greatest positive influence on society!  A few other talks that teach the importance of a mother and woman's nurturing role include:

• The Influence of Mothers (Joseph F. Smith)
• "Behold Thy Mother" (Thomas S. Monson, Oct. 1973)
• What it Means to be a Daughter of God (James E. Faust, Oct. 1999)
• Are We Not All Mothers? (Sheri Dew, Oct. 2001)
• A "Mother Heart" (Julie B. Beck, Apr. 2004)
• Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God (Jeffrey R. Holland, 2010)
• Celebrate Nurturing (April 2014 Ensign)
• Daughters in the Covenant (Henry B. Eyring, Apr. 2014)

These are also instructive, inspiring, and fun:

• To Every Mother
• It is the Private Voice of a Mother that Shapes a Generation
• World's Toughest Job

A few other inspirational Mother's Day favorites:

• I Often Go Walking
• Love at Home
• Love is Spoken Here
• Mother, Tell Me the Story
• Mother's Day Special 2013
• Sunrise, Sunset

Earlier this week I was feeling a little bit down for a few minutes thinking about another Mother's Day approaching without any prospect of a potential date, let alone a husband or children.  I thought about a couple of awkward moments in Mother's Days past and was actually somewhat relieved to think about going to my singles ward this week and being a little bit separated from some of those feelings and the silly comparisons that easily slip into my mind on such occasions.  (Why are we so hard on ourselves?)  While I know the divine and critical role of mothers, I also know that not everyone lives the ideal.  I think it's important that we do our best to strive for and live and encourage the ideal, but to be sensitive to those around us and their potential challenges.  I liked these articles that helped me remember and think about others:

• Why I Avoided Mother's Day Like the Plague and How I've (Mostly) Changed
• The SuperMom Myth
• How I Learned to Celebrate Mother's Day without a Mom

Ultimately, all of these thoughts turn my heart in gratitude to God for my mother - after all, that's who it's all about!  :)  We all have a mother and wouldn't be here without her!  That's what we celebrate - her love and sacrifice and selflessness.  I'm pretty lucky to have been blessed with such a wonderful mother who is my best friend and greatest teacher and example.  She is a model of faith, patience, goodness, love, kindness, hard work, doing her best and assuming that others are too.  I'm grateful for all that she does to help me, encourage me, guide me, listen to me, and teach me.  I'm especially grateful that she taught me to love the Lord, the scriptures, family, music, people, work, reading, and learning.  I'm glad we get to talk so often and I love the time I get to spend with her.

I am also grateful for the other "mother hearts" in my life - two wonderful grandmothers, an amazing sister, two sweet sisters-in-law, and great aunts and cousins and friends and friends' mothers and teachers who have taught and continue to encourage me.

I am grateful for opportunities to nurture and teach and bless and serve.  I know this is my divine destiny and blessing and potential as a woman and I hope to do my best in each opportunity I'm given.