"Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction."
--Elder M. Russell Ballard
"We need to remember that the full commitment of motherhood and of putting children first can be difficult. Through my own four-generation experience in our family, and through discussions with mothers of young children throughout the Church, I know something of a mother’s emotions that accompany her commitment to be at home with young children. There are moments of great joy and incredible fulfillment, but there are also moments of a sense of inadequacy, monotony, and frustration."
--Elder M. Russell Ballard
As a mother of three I can definitely relate to the feelings of inadequacy and frustration that often accompany the day-to-day life of caring for children. For me, the most discouraging moments often come not from how my children behave, but instead how I react to their behavior---patience really is a virtue! Elder Ballard's words come to my mind often--especially lately-- as I remind myself that the joy of motherhood
really does come in
moments. Not years or months or even days of pure bliss, but in small, significant, touching moments that make the tantrums and the teasing and the messes and the trying times all worth it.
“The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. … I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.”---Anna Quindlen
All photos courtesy of Miss Chrissy Jo Parkinson.
4 comments:
true, oh so very true!
I love this post! That last quote is one of my favorites and thanks for reminding me of it again....I need to frame it and put it where I see it EVERY day!
I especially needed this remonder today! Thank you.
I love this. I was just thinking yesterday that I need to slow down and enjoy this time while my kids are little. A lady in my ward tells me all the time that it goes by too quickly and then you're left with teenagers that hate you. So even though this phase is so hard I should enjoy it before it's gone. I'm trying! I am going to read these quotes every day to remind myself. You are wonderful and I love you.
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