A year ago, Big Daughter was asked to give a talk in church on Mother's Day. After lots of thinking and ruminating about it with her (super) mother, this is what she came up with. I like to read it when I'm having a stressful mother-day. Some of you may find it helpful to read on YOUR next stressful mother-days!
"Many years ago in many different countries, a girl couldn’t choose what school to go to, what she wanted to study, or what job she wanted to do. In many places, she couldn’t choose what man she wanted to marry or even if she wanted to get married at all. She couldn’t choose how many children she wanted to have. Women couldn’t be doctors, lawyers, scientists, soldiers or even run in a marathon! (because it was said they were too weak to handle it)
Today, our world is very different. I can dream about whatever future I want. There are women doing everything, everywhere. There are women in space, in the army, and doing surgery in hospitals. There are women who can run faster than my dad in a marathon. My aunty Peta argues for people in court. My aunty Pele is a chemical engineer. My nana is a businesswoman. My aunty Fiona is a prison officer. My cousin Yvette is an army Medic. My mum is a writer and a teacher.
I am happy to be living in these days because women have so many choices compared to 200 years ago. I think God is happy that all his children – boys AND girls - have these choices because agency is an important part of His plan of happiness for us. But, with all these choices a lot of women are choosing NOT to be mothers. The world today wants us young women to believe that being a mum is a boring, tiring, waste of time. Mothers don’t get Academy Awards or Nobel Peace Prizes for what they do. Nobody says – I want to be rich and famous when I grow up so im going to be a mother! Wow! When my mum chose to stay home and be a fulltime mother to us, people told her she would get braindead and that she was wasting her talents. My mum is definitely not braindead…yet, and she told me that she never knew she had so many talents until she was forced to use them to be our mother.
But, being a mum CAN be boring, tiring, and lots of hard work. There’s a lot of cleaning, cooking, washing and driving involved. There’s a lot of patience required. My mum needs lots of diet coke too. Most mums take care of their families AND go to work at the same time. They have double, triple jobs. Most mums are so busy taking care of other people that they don’t take good care of themselves. So why should we choose to be a mother when we grow up?
The Proclamation of the Family tells us that the family is ordained of God and that marriage is essential to Gods plan. The scriptures teach us that ‘Men are that they might have joy.’ My mum chose to be a mother five times. She nearly died four of those times. Why did she still have us then? Because she says that even though some days are super-stressful, nothing gives her greater joy than being a mum to us, nothing else is as important or as special.
I think this is why the world needs a special day to honor mothers. To remind us that being a mother is a very sacred responsibility, a very important job. Being a mum can bring a lot of happiness. Mothers Day can remind us young women that one of the most important jobs we can ever do when we grow up – will be the work we do in our own families. Our own homes.
My mum is a good listener and she is very caring. She works hard to take care of us and to do her other jobs. I am thankful she chose to be my mother. We all need to be grateful for the choices our mothers make everyday to make us children their greatest joy..