" Yesterday my husband called a little bit before lunchtime to check on how we were doing at home. The conversation was more brief than usual because he had a lunch appointment held at a nice restaurant near his office. But it was also interrupted because the toddler sitting at the table in his booster seat knocked a cup of apple juice over, sending juice flying all over himself, the floor and all over me. When I hung up the phone I began the task of cleaning him off, wiping the sticky juice off the table and floor, and finally changing out of the now sticky sweat pants I had not been able to change out of since early that morning. While kneeling on the floor with a rag in my hand I couldn't help but reflect on the differences between the work my husband was doing and the work I so often did as a mother. I knew in my mind that caring for children mattered, but honestly, it was hard to see what could possibly be so important about changing diapers, wiping noses, cleaning muddy feet, and all the other hundreds of mundane chores that seemed to make up my daily life. I reflected on the bachelor's and master's degrees I had received and couldn't help but wonder how after all that preparation I ended up on the floor with a rag in my hand wiping up juice spilled by a toddler. Hadn't I been prepared to do something more significant something that would really make a lasting difference?
(Personal experience shared by Jenet J. Erickson in Successful Marriages and
Families: Proclamation Principles and research Perspectives)
(Personal experience shared by Jenet J. Erickson in Successful Marriages and
Families: Proclamation Principles and research Perspectives)
How many of us had grand goals for our futures? How many of us went to school and obtained massive amounts of knowledge and degrees? How many of us wanted to travel? How many of us wanted to make a significant difference? As a student in college, I obviously am thinking about these questions a lot. I think about what I want to do for a career: a Child Life Specialist/Therapist and a liaison for families in a children's hospital (I want to run the play room, organize events, organize camps and fundraisers as well as be there for the kids to have fun. And then work personally with the families to make plans for after their hospital stay) To do this I need a BA or a Master's in Therapeutic Recreation (Im emphasizing in art and dance) and then become certified in Child Life- that's a lot of education) I would love more than anything to travel and hike all over Europe. I have looked into programs that help build schools, work in orphanages and hospitals around the world- I would love to do something like that. For now I volunteer every summer for a camp at the children's hospital in Seattle. I would love to be a missionary, and bring the gospel to others. I would love to bring happiness to people all over the earth!!!! But above all of these dreams, hopes and ambitions.... I want to be a mother. In my mind I cant see any greater thing that I could ever do with my life than to raise God's children and be their to wipe their noses when they are running, clean the rocks out of a scrapped up knee, cook dinner for a hungry family every night and then clean the dishes, read Dr. Seuss 100+ times, potty train a toddler, suffer through high school math homework late into the night and support my kids in their music, dance, and sports events.
When I talk to friends and we discuss our futures we often talk about getting married and having kids. Many of my girl friends talk about waiting till they are in their mid 30's to have kids. That way they have had time to build a good foundation for themselves, they have traveled and "lived up their young years." But I want to have kids a year or two after marriage, I want to spend my "young years" crawling around a kitchen floor littered with Cheerios cleaning up split milk, playing on the swings and play sets at the play grounds, throwing Frisbee, making sugar cookies in the holidays and dancing to MJ late at nights with my kids. When I think about my future family all I can do is smile. I think about all those beautiful spirits sitting on a cloud watching me, cheering me on as I go through my life and anxiously waiting to come down and be wrapped up in my arms as I sing them to sleep. I dream of the day when I will have children to read to, play with and keep as my own for time and all eternity. Truly I believe that I was born to be a mother and that is the one career that I have dreamed of since I was a little girl playing with my 2 dozen baby dolls in my room.
For years it has been debated on the importance of a mother's role and if being a mother is the right career for every woman. Now I am in no position to start listing off reasons why women should be mother's or why they should choose a professional career over having children (although in my mind mother's are the most professional people there are on this earth). But I can give my testimony that there is not a greater, nothing more divine, no greater joy than being a mother and raising God's children.
When I talk to friends and we discuss our futures we often talk about getting married and having kids. Many of my girl friends talk about waiting till they are in their mid 30's to have kids. That way they have had time to build a good foundation for themselves, they have traveled and "lived up their young years." But I want to have kids a year or two after marriage, I want to spend my "young years" crawling around a kitchen floor littered with Cheerios cleaning up split milk, playing on the swings and play sets at the play grounds, throwing Frisbee, making sugar cookies in the holidays and dancing to MJ late at nights with my kids. When I think about my future family all I can do is smile. I think about all those beautiful spirits sitting on a cloud watching me, cheering me on as I go through my life and anxiously waiting to come down and be wrapped up in my arms as I sing them to sleep. I dream of the day when I will have children to read to, play with and keep as my own for time and all eternity. Truly I believe that I was born to be a mother and that is the one career that I have dreamed of since I was a little girl playing with my 2 dozen baby dolls in my room.
For years it has been debated on the importance of a mother's role and if being a mother is the right career for every woman. Now I am in no position to start listing off reasons why women should be mother's or why they should choose a professional career over having children (although in my mind mother's are the most professional people there are on this earth). But I can give my testimony that there is not a greater, nothing more divine, no greater joy than being a mother and raising God's children.
God trusts women so much that He lets them bear and care for His spirit children.
--Elder Neal A. Maxwell.
Motherhood 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.
--The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
The true spirit of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gives to woman the highest place of honor in human life.
--The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
--Elder Neal A. Maxwell.
Motherhood 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.
--The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
The true spirit of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gives to woman the highest place of honor in human life.
--The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
My mother and I celebrating Graduating High school Summer 2012
