Motherhood

The past couple of days I've been thinking a lot about motherhood and what it means to be a mother. I happened to run into a blog post yesterday from a woman who was complaining about how relief society didn't have all that much "relief" to it anymore. She compared the activities and the organization that we have today to the one they had in Emma smiths time. She said she didn't really feel like we did enough. And I thought about it and just really felt like she was seeking for the "extra." She wasn't satisfied with the service she could do in her own ward or even in her own home. Not to say that we shouldn't seek a little extra, but I feel like the women of this world seek so much for the big or extravagant things that we forget how important and vital the little things are. (And yet ironically so many women get overwhelmed with just that--the little things!) I myself have been caught in this trap. And it's something I hope to avoid as a mother. I want to feel fulfilled by serving my family. 

And I think the women who are seeking to be ordained to the priesthood are doing a similar thing. They are not satisfied with the responsibilities that they are already given. They want the priesthood so that they can do more. Seriously!? Do we really not have enough to do in what we are already given? 

I read another article written by a woman who supported the ordain women group that tried to go to priesthood AGAIN just a week ago. And I was really trying to understand where these women are coming from. But I feel like they just don't understand the meaning of equality. We don't have to be able to do all that men do to make us equal--in fact we are different and that's what makes it so beautiful and uniting! 

My other thought on motherhood came from a conversation I had with crystal today. Sometimes I feel slightly overwhelmed about being a mother when I talk to her. She makes it seem like there are sooo many ways to raise your kids and everyone does it differently. And everyone has a strong opinion on the way it should be done. 

I don't want to feel judged by the way I raise my kids! And I really don't know if I even have an opinion on any of it (I'm sure some day I'll gain a strong opinion on many things). It makes me nervous to be a mom. Who do I listen to? Who is right about how to go through labor or how to put your kids to sleep or what food to feed them?

And ya know what it came down to for me as I thought about all the opinions that exist out there? If it really matters for the well being of your child, The Lord will guide you. So I prayed for that today. I prayed that I might be lead to know what choices to make for my children that will greatly affect them. And those that don't, The Lord will give me the opportunity to choose. And that's just fine! As long as I have the big things covered I think I will be able to guess at a few of the other questions that will arise.