I know Mothers Day has already passed, but I just had to express how grateful I am to not only have a wonderful mother, but to be a mom myself. Not every woman gets the opportunity to give birth to a child of their own and I never realized just how awesome it is until Taylor came into my life. She is, by far, my greatest accomplishment, not to mention my own daily reminder of how real God is and how much He loves us.
The other day I was reading about Nephi and his family and how even though they were living in tents in the wilderness and eating nothing but raw meat, the women were blessed and, as the scriptures say, they "did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong" (1st Nephi 17:2). When I think of how overwhelmed I was as a new mother, especially with the grueling task of mastering nursing, I am truly humbled to imagine what trials these early saints faced.
I gave birth in a cushy hospital room with an epidural to dissolve the pain, with trained doctors and nurses assisting me, with a lactation specialist at my beck and call, with hot meals being delivered to me 3 times a day, and with prescription pills to ease the pain for the week after the baby was born. I had a warm home to return to with running water and a mattress to sleep on. I had modern day diapers, pacifiers, swaddling blankets, and drawers full of onesies. And yet, despite the modern comforts, it was the hardest experience of my life.
How humbling it is to realize how much we have. How grateful I am that those mothers of Nephi's time were brave enough to trust in their Lord and keep having children, despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges they faced. They would probably laugh at the concerns we new parents have now (what if this brand of diaper gives my baby a rash? What if my baby won't take a bottle? When will I ever have time to shower again?).
But, be that as it may, we have our own set of challenges to face as mothers of today. I feel such gratitude that the Lord would allow me the honor to raise one (and soon to be two) of His children. What a great responsibility we have to teach our children what is right. We are so blessed to have the gospel on the earth to guide us back to our Father in Heaven.
I am so glad that I have the example of my mom to show me how to be a good mother. I am also grateful for the example of my mother-in-law and glad that she raised a good son who is now a wonderful father. These women inspire me every day, as do all the moms I know. They teach by their examples and their love for their families. Though I always wanted to be a mom, I have never known this kind of joy existed. It is beyond anything earthly and I truly look forward to experiencing this joy again in just 2 months.
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