Little Lessons

Today was a great day. It didn’t start out great and it didn’t really have anything in it that was that great but I have had a few really wonderful and inspirational moments as a mother today.


I woke up today and everywhere I looked or turned my children were doing something they shouldn’t or having some issue with their potty needs. We had accidents, diaper messes etc. I had to get the kids ready for church alone because Andy was at meetings. Nothing out of the ordinary only it seemed like one thing after another with all of my kids. I got to church breathless and ready to hand the kids off to Andy and go home or at least sit in the car and have a good cry. But I didn’t I just sat there in the pew and asked him to talk to “his” kids about what they shouldn’t do regarding their potty needs. All the way to church I prayed – laying out all my frustrations and irritations and asking for help, patience and fix-its. Throughout church I would continue to pray because I was still sitting there fuming about it all and not getting anything out of the talks, lessons etc. I love how Heavenly Father works when it comes to personal revelation. I kept asking for what I thought I needed but he would keep giving me nudges towards realization of what I really needed. Here are a few of the great things I learned today.

While praying one of the times about how hard I had it in life right now regarding this potty issue and feeling a bit like I had more trouble than anyone else I was reminded by the spirit that it could be worse. And instantly I remembered that I am still nursing Ruby and that is a direct blessing given to me. And I thought – yes, it could be worse. And I felt better.

Later, I was praying about how hard it was to be a mother, and how every day was the same. And then we had a lesson on the Israelites and how they murmured about having Manna everyday and nothing else and they were tired of it. All of a sudden I thought of how my kids and my family life – my every day of my life- is sort of like Manna from heaven. I thought about how some days I find it really rewarding to do what I do every day (almost identical to the day before) and how some days I am so very bored at the sameness in my days. The difference is my attitude towards it on that day. I can be like the Israelites and not have gratitude that I have been provided with a blessing and or I can have gratitude for the three little blessings in my life that cause the monotony. I would much rather raise my kids than send them to babysitters so in that way we have been blessed with an income that supports that. So what if it means some days I burn through a few brain cells in the process?

Lastly, while talking with a friend about the whole lot after church, she mentioned in humor how she would like to see one day before she dies where all her kids go to the bathroom and she doesn’t have to be aware of any of it. No cleaning diapers, dribbles on the seat, unflushed toilets, yellow underwear in the laundry etc. I laughed because I thought – YEAH! I’d like to get to the point where my kids can use the restroom and I don’t know about it somehow. Later when I was musing to myself about the humor of it I felt the spirit say to me essentially that “but then they would be gone” – grown and on their own and away from me. It’s not so bad to have to see all the stuff I suppose if it means I can keep my babies babies a little bit longer.