I am a little hesitant to post this, number 1 because I am not a mother and number 2 because it is just my opinion and I know my opinion is not always right. In my major, I have the unique opportunity of taking classes that talk a lot about the roles of mothers and fathers so it is something I think often about. Yesterday in Sunday school, we were talking about the divine qualities of mothers and I had this thought that has deeply impressed me.
At the beginning of the semester, one of my teachers told us that she had "found" herself and that she had found what her purpose was in life through her education and job experiences. This made me think about my own experience and I felt kind of bad because I have not felt that I know my individual purpose yet. I love my major and I have loved studying family and interior design, but I just don't feel like it is my purpose to be a "designer" or a "family scientist." I know you must be thinking I chose the wrong major, but I assure you, I did not.
Yesterday, I was thinking how the world would say that in order for women to "find" themselves, they would need to look outside of the home. It seems like it is through education and through having a career that a woman can find who she truly is. This got me thinking about my own education and job (Not that my job is a career by all means). I was thinking about how I have learned skills and gained knowledge at school and at work but I don't feel like I have learned everything about myself that there is to know.
In Sunday school as we talked about the divine qualities that women have and their ability to nuture, I thought that I do not feel like I know this part of myself yet. I get glimpses of it every once in a while, but I do not think I will fully understand this ability until I have the opportunity to be a mother. I thought about my own mother and the way she is able to comfort and love her children. Over the weekend Brandon and I went to visit Mattie, Scott, and Jonah and Brandon pointed out to me how he noticed the way that Mattie was able to nurture Jonah when he fell down. So I also thought about Mattie. I thought about the change I have seen in her since she has become a mother and how she has developed those nurturing qualities.
This has been a long wind-up but basically my thought was that it is through motherhood, whenever that happens for me, that I will be able to "find" myself as my teacher did. I cannot think of any job or any field of study that will allow me to develop the divine and inherent qualities of nurturing better than motherhood.
10 comments:
i like this! i think the only way to really learn how to nurture is by becoming a mother. i'm not saying women who don't have children can't nurture, but it's easier to learn when you have a child you love unconditionally.
i also agree about "finding" yourself. there are a lot of parts of "me," but my favorite part of "me" is the wife/mother part if that makes sense. it's the part that i'm most motivated to be the best at and the part of me that is the most fulfilling. school is great, but i'm not going to take that degree with me when i die. you just have to think in terms of what is most important.
oh, and p.s. i think you have a lot of nurturing qualities. i honestly noticed them this weekend, and i'm not saying that because you said that about me. i was really thinking to myself as you played with jonah that you'll be an amazing mother someday.
hopefully that's soon so jonah can have a friend!
I have had a lot of thoughts about this subject as of late because we have been talking about Eve and the Fall so much in Sunday School and Relief Society.
I really think to understand the Fall is to understand your qualities of a woman as divine and eternal and to believe that we were blessed with these qualities from before the foundation of the world.
I was just thinking of feeling life, giving birth, being a co-creator with God in "[bringing] to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." and then having the unique opportunity to be the center of that child's world, until they are teens at least.
I have learned how good I am and how much I have left to learn through the divine qualities of womanhood and mothering.
Thank you for your thoughts.
are you pregnant?
haha no.
wow lars - you know your stuff! i needed this today and i couldn't agree more! your mom and mattie are the best examples!
i had a great conversation with meme right before she left about the stock of women the nelson's come from and you are of that stock. watching and learning from the women closest to me i absolutely believe that to truly find ourselves as women we have to fulfill the divine roles we were created for - if/when we have the opportunity to do so!
sure love learning from the daines/russell/henrie women!
Haha by the end of this I thought you were going to say that you were preggers.. But either way all I can say is that you are going to be an amazing mother whenever that day comes.
Wow Lauren you are wise beyond your years. They are all right, you will be an amazing mother. How could you not be with Your Mimi, Mom, and Mattie as examples!!
I LOVE this Laurent. I couldn't agree more.
hi lauren! i am blog stalking and am so glad i found you!
i love this post. i totally agree with you. and i agree with everyone else. . you will be an amazing mom. i hope you guys are doing well!
love jen
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