It’s been more than a year since I last asked how I can help you:
I would love to help you find fulfillment in motherhood. I’m working on it, too, but I think we can help each other. I know that for every mother that values herself in her calling as a mother, I feel strengthened and heartened.
So what can I do to help you find fulfillment in motherhood? What do you struggle with? How can I remind you of the true worth of the little and sometimes tedious things you do every day?
I had a lot of very brave, candid moms share the challenges of their lives—and other than thanking them, I didn’t do a thing for them.
I want to do more.
So what can I do to help you to find fulfillment in motherhood? Would you like to be able to interact with other moms (in a forum maybe)? Would it help you to have a weekly post on MamaBlogga where we can all share something we did to enjoy our lives that week? Would you like “assignments” to help you find fulfillment? Would you like to see featured moms talk about what they do to find fulfillment?
Any other ideas?
5 replies on “Creating fulfillment”
I really think that true fulfillment comes only when we are serving a cause greater than ourselves. I like the idea of featuring moms to see how they’ve found fulfillment. What about pairing that with the idea of service? You could provide ideas for service opportunities and talk to moms about what they do in their kids school, in their community or with their church that provides their lives with meaning. Whether it’s small things like checking in on the elderly neighbor lady or volunteering in a hurricane ravaged disaster zone, those things are what give our lives true meaning.
I think it would have the double advantage of providing ecouragement but also inspiration for moms to get out there and make a difference in their communities. I know I’ve been happiest and most fulfilled when I’ve felt like I’ve done something meaningful for someone else.
It’s just a thought.
Eyvonne—that’s a great idea. I often think of all the work we do for our children as service, too. What is a mother’s life if not one of service, even if only within the walls of her own home?
I should also note, too, that I think that being a mother is a cause greater than ourselves. I’ve heard some people who are not parents claim that parenthood is a selfish perpetuation of one’s own DNA—nothing could be further from the truth.
I think what I’m trying to say here is I want to find a way to help mothers get the sense that being a mother is in and of itself a high and noble calling, that the basic responsibility of motherhood (raising a posterity of well-rounded, independent, capable individuals and in my case, righteous in my religious tradition) is the ultimate form of service that we can give.
Yes, serving others around us in meaningful ways is absolutely important. But I think to value our work as mothers we have to recognize that serving our families is at least as important—and can also yield the same satisfaction in our lives.
First… I’m not trying to be contraversial or argumentative.
I probably wasn’t clear enough in my initial post. I was thinking about service work in which we involve our children, not just that we do ourselves. My kids are in elementary school so this is an option for me.
My only other addition is this:
I believe part of our problem with young people in our culture is that they have been raised like they are the center of the universe. My kids are very important to me and I want them to feel loved and cared for and valued. But I also want them to know there is a big world out there that exists beyond our household. If I raise them like they are the center of the universe, they will grow up believing they are the center of the universe. This is not only bad for them, it’s bad for society.
So, I guess my original comment was that for me, I find the most satisfaction when I see my children respond with compassion to the hurts they see around them, when their teachers tell me they are kind to other students in their class. It’s most meaningful to me when I see the convergence of our family’s mission (we have one of service to others that our children participate in) take hold in their lives and I see it expressed in their individual personalities. That is incredible. It doesn’t always work and they aren’t perfect. But I’m excited to see those planted seeds take hold in their hearts and minds.
So, I guess I was just thinking that is what makes motherhood most meaningful to me, and would love to hear other stories from other moms.
Thnaks for the question..
I would love to see featured moms talk about what they do to find fulfillment (I struggle with this issue at times so I would love some inspiration.)