Through my daily struggle to break the chains of abuse from my own childhood I must be continually conscious of my parenting decisions. This is why I carefully study the women around me and why learning about attachment parenting, positive discipline and the continuum concept have been so important to me.
I was just reading this talk from Elder M. Russell Ballard given to Mothers and Daughters April 2010 regarding the divine role of Mothers.
I would like to share with you a few passages that are significant to my own life...
"I understand that some of you young women do not have mothers with whom you can discuss these issues. And many of you women do not presently have daughters in your lives. But because all women have within their divine nature both the inherent talent and the stewardship to mother, most of what I will say applies equally to grandmothers, aunts, sisters, stepmothers, mothers-in-law, leaders, and other mentors who sometimes fill the gaps for these significant mother-daughter relationships."
He goes onto talk about the importance of being nurturing....
"Teach your daughters to find joy in nurturing children. This is where their love and talents can have the greatest eternal significance. Consider in this context President Harold B. Lee’s injunction that “the most important . . . work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own homes.”
Elder Ballard defines a nurturing parent in The Sacred Responsibilities of Parenthood, a speech from August 2003.
The Family: A Proclamation to the World "teaches that "mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children." Nurturing refers to parenting behaviors such as warmth, support, bonding, attachment, recognizing each child's unique needs and abilities, and attending to children's needs. Nurturing in and of itself is more important in the development of a child than is any particular method or technique of child rearing. It hardly needs saying that nurturing is best carried out in a stable, safe family context."
And finally my complete objective as I strive to be a good mother...
"A mother's nurturing love arouses in children, from their earliest days on earth, an awakening of the memories of love and goodness they experience in their premortal existence, Because our mothers love us, we learn, or more accurately remember, that God also loves us."
To my Auntie Laurel and other women in my life who "fill in the gaps" to help me feel God's love - Thank you! When we strive to provide a place for our children to launch from and return to each day, where they know they will feel God's love... what more can we do?
I was just reading this talk from Elder M. Russell Ballard given to Mothers and Daughters April 2010 regarding the divine role of Mothers.
I would like to share with you a few passages that are significant to my own life...
"I understand that some of you young women do not have mothers with whom you can discuss these issues. And many of you women do not presently have daughters in your lives. But because all women have within their divine nature both the inherent talent and the stewardship to mother, most of what I will say applies equally to grandmothers, aunts, sisters, stepmothers, mothers-in-law, leaders, and other mentors who sometimes fill the gaps for these significant mother-daughter relationships."
He goes onto talk about the importance of being nurturing....
"Teach your daughters to find joy in nurturing children. This is where their love and talents can have the greatest eternal significance. Consider in this context President Harold B. Lee’s injunction that “the most important . . . work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own homes.”
Elder Ballard defines a nurturing parent in The Sacred Responsibilities of Parenthood, a speech from August 2003.
The Family: A Proclamation to the World "teaches that "mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children." Nurturing refers to parenting behaviors such as warmth, support, bonding, attachment, recognizing each child's unique needs and abilities, and attending to children's needs. Nurturing in and of itself is more important in the development of a child than is any particular method or technique of child rearing. It hardly needs saying that nurturing is best carried out in a stable, safe family context."
And finally my complete objective as I strive to be a good mother...
"A mother's nurturing love arouses in children, from their earliest days on earth, an awakening of the memories of love and goodness they experience in their premortal existence, Because our mothers love us, we learn, or more accurately remember, that God also loves us."
To my Auntie Laurel and other women in my life who "fill in the gaps" to help me feel God's love - Thank you! When we strive to provide a place for our children to launch from and return to each day, where they know they will feel God's love... what more can we do?
4 comments:
Thank you for this post. It was good to remember the things that the Apostles & Prophets have said about "mothers" and our divine roll.
I think you are an amazing mother. I see the things you do for your family and it inspires me to be better.
I just want you to know, that I love having you as a sister (inlaw).I wish we could see you more often, but I love the contact we do have. Love you lots!!
Great post Wendy, thank you for sharing.
I couldnt agree more! Thank you for posting this, it reminds me that what I am doing is truely making a difference.
There are times I wake in the middle of the night with pangs of anxiety running through me, wondering if I'm doing everything I should to help Miss V become a confident, strong, loving, whole woman. I think of so many things I do wrong. Not that I'm horrible or anything, but there are so many more things I could be doing better.
Then I think of what the alternatives might be in her life, and in mine. And I realize that even if I'm not a perfect auntie (and I'm not), she's been entrusted to me for good or ill--and if I'm not already doing the best I possibly could, then I'm expected to work at it a bit each day and make it better.
I can tell you're a great mom. I could discover this even if I'd never met you--all I have to do is look at your son.
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