Confession: part of what made this week so rough was learning that we were NOT pregnant (we had thought I miraculously was, I mean, who is 3 weeks late for no good reason? And there were other reasons, too...but I digress, the point is, I'm not). It was a tough day on Monday and I was glad Paul was home sick so he could hold me all day. I was NOT looking forward to church today, or the day in general. But I'm so glad I moved on and put the focus on MY three AWESOME mothers and came to church anyway, sick but smiling. If I hadn't had such a cough, it would've been as good a Mothers Day as any of you have had, I bet! I even got presents. :)
I got woken up by my babies. These are them.
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| Happily chewing away at new bones. After the blow of Monday, I went out and got $30 worth of new toys/treats to spoil my only babies with. :) |
They're not usually allowed in our bedroom, but there they were on the bed this morning, to lick my face and wake me up before my alarm went off--super early, I might add. :)
Voodoo gave me this card:
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| (Paul said the paw print was extra hard to trace. :) |
And in it was an iTunes gift card! Woohoo!
Obi gave me this card:
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| (Love the margerita glass filled with chocolate milk. ;) |
And in it was a GIANT Hershey's special dark chocolate bar. Score!
And then they all (Paul included) went back to bed for an hour. When I got ready for church and then came out to the living room, Paul had left this sweet card on the tv table for me to find:
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| (The center, when it opens up, says, "You deserve a wonderful day." Paul said he concurred. :) |
I have the coolest, sweetest hubby ever. :)
At church, we learned about some awesome women in the scriptures, and the young men passed out chocolate and live flowers to all the women in the ward 18 and over. Can't wait to add them to my mini-garden out on our patio.
I feel pretty spoiled. :)
Even more important than all this gift-giving and segregating into "mom" and "not moms" is the doctrine of motherhood, of womanhood. I love being a woman (most days ;) because I know the power I have to influence the world for the better. Love you men, for sure, but even prophets have said that no power or influence is stronger in changing the nations of the world than that of women and mothers. People who think the church is all about anti-feminism and taking away the rights/education/futures of its women REALLY DON'T GET IT AT ALL!!! Women are so loved in the gospel plan, and so honored, and so remembered. They are the crowning glory of creation. Eve is venerated as the true mother of all the earth, even before she had given birth, because she sacrificed her own comfort in a feat of heroic faith, setting the Plan in motion to make this life possible for each and every one of us (isn't that what mothers do?). Women are all over the scriptures if you read them carefully--in some of the most touching moments, especially interacting with the Savior, women have been missionaries, pillars of strength, friends to the friendless, and heroes in their own right. We can partake in every necessary ordinance and blessing the church and the gospel has to offer--not just as a side note or an afterthought but as VITAL, EQUAL PARTNERS in an eternal companionship that is the highest of all blessings the Lord can give us. We have sacred responsibilities in our homes and in our communities that NO ONE ELSE CAN DO. Bearing children is really only one small part of the doctrine of motherhood, and I feel SO EMPOWERED when I think of how the Lord sees me and my role, in my family, my ward, and His kingdom.
CHECK OUT THIS TALK. It's one of my favorites EVER about the eternal nature of womanhood and motherhood. There are LOTS more like it out there, too. We have a specific role to play, women, no matter what our situations are. And today is a day to celebrate THAT. To celebrate YOU. I'm so happy to know this, and to have a husband that knows and understands it, as well. I love being a woman and knowing what that really *means*! SO HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to you ALL! :)
Sorry it was a rough week, but as always, you are coming out smiling anyway! My parents tried for 10 years before my older brother finally came along, and my Mom hates Mothers' Day to this day because for so many years it was so difficult. And now that she has children, she says all the focus on fantastic mothers makes her feel inadequate. I think a lot of women feel the same way. So, basically, we should just ban this holiday.
ReplyDeleteHUGS!
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ReplyDeleteI was two weeks late once when we were first trying to get pregnant. That is so hard to go through when you want children so badly.
ReplyDeleteI have always loved MOther's Day, long before I ever had children. I have always had so many women(not blood mothers) who have been mothers to me in really important ways. I think it is WAY a holiday for clebrating women. It isn't corny, it is TRUE, we are all mothers, whether we have children or not. It is sad when people get offended and take it the wrong way, or are taught about it the wrong way, or get treated in the wrong way because they haven't born children or whatever. In a generation where families are totally being attacked and neglected and the very meaning of a family is being abused, I think we need mother's day more than ever. Mothers are important. Everyone has one. Even if we just focus on that, our own mothers, I think that is important.