"Climbing Mother"
Brian Kershisnik
"Of course, it is a wonderful impossibility that babies could climb a ladder tall enough to get to their mother. But what Kershisnik captures is a mother's abandonment of personal space when her children are young and their physical needs are great. In the everyday acts of parenting, mothers provide noble and continual service for gods in embryo, being sustained in their untiring efforts by God's help from above."
I have been writing more on this blog lately. I've never considered myself a good writer. In fact, it is really hard for me to express my self in writing most of the time (let alone the fact that I can't spell) . But, as my life situation has changed a bit and I am now a stay at home mom (not working) I find my self feeling a little bit lonely. Which is now why I'm writing to you and why your comments mean so much to me. It helps me feel a little less lonely in this world of motherhood. So let's start a movement shall we? Let's comment on other mother's blogs. It makes a difference!
I would love to pick up the phone and call but seriously, my house is much too loud for that now.
Isn't motherhood crazy how you can feel completely smothered and devoid of personal space and then completely lonely at the same time? How it can be so incredible loud and at the same time too quiet?
While touring The Church History Museum I walked past a painting titled "Climbing Mother". I didn't even have to read the description below it to totally understand and relate to the women in the painting.
Brian Kershisnik nailed it.
With 2 small children at home saying that I have abandoned my personal space almost doesn't do it justice. I know you know what I mean. I cant even comprehend having 5 or 6 or 12 kids!
And don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining just working through a new stage of life. I'm growing and stretching and adapting.
My favorite part of the painting is the representation of Heavenly help. I have often felt this help in my life as Mama. Mostly when I have been up for days on end caring for sick babies. I will stop for a minute in between checking temperatures and changing diapers and acknowledge that there is no possible explanation for why I am able to still function if it wasn't for Heavenly help. It is absolutely and positively true and real.
In this day and age where we can go on-line and read blogs and articles and have social media debates on parenting I think it is becoming harder to rely on that heavenly help sometimes. Harder to rely on it and harder to acknowledge it when we feel it. There is so much self guilt and doubt going around these days, geesh!
I like to say that when a baby is born Heavenly Father gives women super powers. Our super hero uniform may not consist of a cape and mask and may involve yoga pants and spit-up stained t-shirts but non-the-less we get the powers.
So what I have learned so far in this journey of motherhood? Rely on that Heavenly Help.
When you are so confused with whether you should let your baby cry it out, or sleep with you. If you should give him a binky or let them thumb suck. If you need to potty train in 2 days or wait till they do it on their own. Just find a quiet place and sit holding your precious child of God. Be still and quiet and listen for that heavenly help. It will come to you. Because before he or she was your child he was God's and he will always be there to help with the raising of his precious children.
You are a great mom, a perfect mom for your child. There are a million different ways to be that perfect mom just like there are a million different babies. And by perfect I mean everything that little child needs including your flaws and shortcomings. Because you are not perfect on your own but through Him you are perfected.
You are both new at this and will figure it out together. Just listen.
Plus, have you ever asked a baby question on facebook? Yikes! Let's not do that again :-)
These are my little monkeys. Always climbing... 24-7.
