A Pondering of Motherhood

There is a saying,“God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” As near as I can tell, this is a quote by Rudyard Kipling. At book club last night we discussed this quote a little and my good friend says she disagrees. She believes that God can be everywhere. I know this to be the truth also. For some reason today it has been on my mind and for my purpose, I revise the quote to be "God is everywhere, because mothers can't be". I will attempt to qualify this. I think that my reasoning holds true, even if your mother has passed on.

As a mother, I know that I constantly wish someone would clone me. Not only because I, like many others, have overbooked myself, but also because often my children need me and I am not able to be right there. Sometimes, my children don't need me, I just wish that I could be there to stand up for them, to comfort them, or to bring them a favorite treat to put that smile on their face. I know that they will be alright without me, I just wish I could do something more than I am able to at that moment. As often as possible, I am there. It is in the times when I am not able to be there, that I pray for them. I pray for Heavenly Father to watch over them, to guide them and to protect them. I pray for them to feel my love and comfort until I can be there. I know that those prayers are answered. I know that because I can't be everywhere, I can rely on my father in Heaven to be there for them. I hope that someday my children know this and that they too can learn to rely on the Lord. That they can forge that friendship with him, come to rely on him in times of hurt and need. He truly will bring the needed relief if you just trust in him.

A different book I read recently had this quote "Maybe we're all like that with our mothers. They seem ordinary until one day they're extraordinary." In the book, the main character realized her mother was capable of things she didn't know. I guess this sentence just stood out to me. I don't consider myself to be extraordinary. I just don't always feel appreciated for all the things that I do and all the sacrifices I make on behalf of my children. I know that is the circle of life. I probably was not grateful enough for my mother. Mothers are just supposed to take what we dish out, right? I have previously publicly thanked my mother for all she has done and am grateful for the kind of person she taught me to become. I firmly believe that I am who I am because of her example. My hope is also that one day my children realize that I was extraordinary in some way. I don't ever expect them to tell me or thank me, I just hope that they know. May they just continue my quiet legacy of helping others and standing up for what is right.

TKB