However, this particular podcast episode truly resonated with me.
I myself dealt with 3 miscarriages and it can be heartbreaking.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it’s a gift and a comfort to know we will see our loved ones again one day.
This podcast episode brings peace and comfort to those who have dealt with a miscarriage and I hope you can receive the peace and comfort I did as you listen.
This mom waited a long, long time to become a mom and she couldn’t wait!
Most moms her age were about done having kids as she had just begun.
This mom knew since she waited so long to become a mom she would be the best.
This mom was going to be patient, never yelling only consoling.
This mom was going to be understanding of tantrums and fits instead of throwing a fit back at the child.
This mom was only going to let her children eat the healthiest of foods, never sugar or fatty oils, just pure, organic goodness.
This mom was going to teach manners so beautifully that everyone would know her child belonged to her because their manners were superb.
This mom was going to have a clean home because her kids would help cleanup messes as they played and they would never just leave messes around the house.
This mom was going to teach her children how to memorize scriptures, and important facts .
This mom was going to soon realize …
That whenever you start with “Once upon a time….”
Well, it ended in a fairy tale.
And all of it was a fairy tale, because this mom, yes— she had waited many, many years to become a mom.
However, she wasn’t the perfect, sweet mom that she was expecting to be.
When her kids threw fits this mom sometimes yelled at them and threw fits too.
This mom wasn’t always compassionate and consoling.
This mom wanted a clean house, but it was never as clean as she had hoped.
This mlm felt like a broken record teaching her kids manners that they seemed to never listen to.
This mom let her kids eat sugar and fatty oils more than she ever imagined she would.
This mom didn’t teach her children to memorize scriptures and important facts. She started to but then…
Well…
Then this mom got tired.
This mom got plain old worn out tired.
This mom, —she tried.
She tried everyday and often times felt like she failed everyday.
Why couldn’t she be that mom she had imagined in her mind?
After all, she had waited so long to become a mom.
Nevertheless, this mom fell short some days.
This mom, she felt bad and sad, why couldn’t she do it all?
This mom was overwhelmed.
This mom was overwhelmed physically, mentally, emotionally and at times spiritually.
However, at night, when this mom said her prayers. She knew and felt that God still loved her.
God still loved this imperfect, impatient, not -always-a-compassionate mom.
And it reminded this mom… that despite everything … this mom ALWAYS loved her kids.
This mom always loved her kids no matter how tired or hard or overwhelming things got.. this mom loved her kids to the moon and back, and then some.
So if God loved this mom, and if this mom loved her kids… how could she fail and fall short ?
Maybe this mom was a TRUE mom, who dealt with challenges in motherhood and hoped and wanted to be better—- when all along, the key component was love.
So should this mom try harder and do better?
Yes.
Will this mom ever be the perfect mom?
Nope.
Will God still love this mom?
Yes.
And this mom will remember that if God loves her, and if she loves God and her kids with all of her heart… well then, this mom has the strength to keep on striving to become the best mom she can be.
And maybe, just maybe… this mom, she will make it.
And hopefully her kids will always know and feel of her love.
The love that every imperfect mom has for their kids.
A love beyond words, for a mother always wants to be a better mom, but the key is and always will be…
Forever and ever… is love.
And to this mom and all moms… remember God loves you. Forever and forever.
If you’re in the motherhood journey like me, then you know that it’s easy to have those days where you can’t wait for bedtime so that you can be done with the day.
-C. Austin
Motherhood is so incredibly wonderful, and yet, it’s also very tiring and hard.
Every mother out there knows that there are some days that are so challenging … that we just can’t wait for bedtime.
And that’s ok because that is natural. Motherhood is not an easy journey and not everyday is bliss.
However… there is a mindset shift I’m learning as I go about the motherhood journey.
I now have 4 children.. and perhaps knowing that my fourth child is my last has reminded me to enjoy the motherhood journey daily.
Don’t get overwhelmed and think it’s going to be a “long week.”
Find the wonderful moments in motherhood daily… because there’s always something wonderful.
Little kids are the most positive and happiest people I know… and they always have a bright side to them.
If we are always focused on keeping the house spotless, or making sure every meal is perfectly well-rounded with fruits and veggies and protein etc.
We may be too distracted or to stressed out to see the sweet little moments our children can bring us.
It may be something cute they said, or a note they wrote, or a creative song they sang…. Bottom line is… those little moments are what makes motherhood fulfilling.
Motherhood is a day-to-day mindset.
And my encouragement is to me as much as anyone else.
To simply… find the joys in each day.
Our time with little children passes too soon.
And those little moments will be the greatest events for us to look back on.
I was reading my friend’s post about her daughter moving away to college.
It hit me hard as she wrote that she had done all she could to prepare her daughter to grow up and move away, and yet, she herself hand’t prepared her heart for WHEN her daughter moved away!
Cue the tears!
It’s so true.
Mama’s work hard day in and day out to teach their children how to grow and develop in every way, so that one day the child can leave the nest and grow on their own independently.
However, mother’s can never quite grasp the reality of their children not being under their own roof.
It’s hard to process.
Especially since, for most mothers, they cared for their babies while in the womb.
Then of course, they took care of their child as a helpless and innocent little baby, then a toddler, then a child, then a teenager, and then suddenly….. they are grown and on their own.
No my children are not grown up yet (and I am grateful).
However, my oldest son just turned 8 years old and I can tell you that was the fastest 8 years of my life!
I have watched time and time again how fast children grow up.
And yet, as a mother it seems that children truly do grow up faster than ever.
So can we really ever prepare our hearts for when our child grows up and moves away?
I don’t think so.
Because our job as a parent is to love and protect that child.
With that love and protecting, a separation of any sort is extremely difficult.
It always will be.
However, it’s what we know to be best for the child as well.
And perhaps, with high hopes, when that child is grown and moved out, they will call us mama’s up, and they too will miss us.
It will never be the same, but there will be that hope, that the child will understand, that their mama will never stop loving them, never stop guiding them, never stop encouraging them….because a mother will always be a mother.
Near or far, that mother will continue to shower their child with love.
So my hope for those that are dealing with their kids growing up and leaving their home, my hope is that that mama will know she is loved. And more so, that mama did all she was supposed to do, to help that child reach a level of independence that must take place for that child to grow.
The love never ends, no matter the age or the distance, mama will still have that mama heart that will always care for her children.
Life has been great and challenging all in one. With a newborn, many of you know there isn’t a lot of sleep.
Overall, baby boy sleeps quite well just wakes up quite hungry at night but for the most part goes back to sleep.
All my kids are adjusting with me.
We are trying to keep all the kids busy and entertained while mom takes care of the new baby.
All the siblings LOVE to hold the baby and he sure gets lots of snuggles… which we all love.
We have kept the summer quite simple, which is nice.
And I’ve been so grateful for the endless support we’ve received between: meals, babysitting, baby items, gift cards and more. We have been humbled with the outpouring of love.
We are so grateful for this baby boy to join our family and we are soaking up all the newborn snuggles:)
As some of you may know, we are expecting our fourth child any day now.
In fact, if he doesn’t make his appearance this weekend, we will be getting induced on Monday morning so we can finally meet this sweet baby boy.
There is a lot of preparation and planning that goes into having a baby.
We have all the major items ready: bassinet, diapers, clothes, changing table, swaddles, pacifiers, lotions….you name it.
Something I realize my mind needs to prep for is the fact that my other babies, well, they really wont seem like babies anymore.
In fact, having a baby, makes your other children grow immensely.
My oldest son is almost 8 and he already has felt the pressure of me asking him for help a bit more.
My second child, my daughter who is 6 is so nurturing and excited and I know she will love a baby brother, however, there will be some stretching and growing as she sees much of her moms time being utilized by a newborn.
And my current youngest child, who is 3 1/2 years old…well, she won’t be the baby of the family anymore and that’s also a hard adjustment, for everyone.
And yet, I know all our hearts will grow ten-fold as we welcome this baby boy into our home.
No matter what your religious background is, you can’t deny the fact that babies bring a sacredness and beautiful spirit into homes.
Yes there will be sleepless nights, and our house may not be as clean for a bit.
However, it’s all worth it for this wonderful baby that we have hoped and prayed for.
Yes, there will be many adjustments and changes for this mama and my sweet husband as we take on four kids. But we couldn’t be more excited!
We feel so very blessed, and cant wait to meet him!
Hopefully next post, I will have a picture for you.
