Mother's Day

"Motherhood is near to divinity; the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind."
J. Reuben Clark, Jr.

I absolutely love being a mom. I love the big grins, the tiny giggles, the curious eyes and wildly kicking legs. I love itty bitty hands wrapped around my finger and half-asleep cuddles and the incredible feeling you get when you hold your own child. My baby brings me so much joy, every single day. I wouldn't give this up for anything.

But every day, I hear that being a mom is not enough. That it's just not that important. It makes me so sad to know that my daughter will grow up in a world where the fundamental, irreplaceable, sacred responsibility of mothering is demeaned and even scoffed at.

So as we celebrate Mother's Day, I want to recognize not only my wonderful mom, but women everywhere who give up many of their own pursuits, aspirations, personal goals, and so so so much of their energy and time to raising their children. Because it is worth it.

To quote Oprah: "I believe the choice to become a mother is the choice to become one of the greatest spiritual teachers there is. To create an environment that's stimulating and nurturing, to pass on a sense of responsibility to another human being, to raise a child who understands that he or she is created from good and is capable of anything- I know for sure that few callings are more honorable. To play down mothering as small is to crack the very foundation on which greatness stands."

I am humbled (and often extremely overwhelmed!) at the responsibility of being a mom. I have a lot to learn. But I am surrounded by so many women in my life who inspire me to be a better mother. To my beautiful mom, my mothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, and friends- thank you for your quiet examples of service and love. Happy Mother's Day!