Thoughts on motherhood–from people other than me

Surprisingly enough, I’m not the only person out there thinking deep thoughts/wallowing in existential angst about motherhood. I come across blog posts that really inspire me or challenge my way of thinking about motherhood, I bookmark them to blog about later and . . . I forget. So, today I’m catching up on some of these great posts, with excerpts to show you some of the reasons I bookmarked them in the first place.

Stress and fear from Conversion Diary:

I am very likely to get in a mental state where I just give in to anxiety and stress and self-pity and all sorts of other negative emotions — not because I have actually been given more than I can handle, but because I because I see a long day and a longer week stretching before me, and unless something changes I’ll reach some kind breaking point and I will have more than I can handle. In other words, I’m afraid.

Why my life is better since becoming open to life also from Conversion Diary

A product of secular society, I’d fallen into the common notion that the way to find true happiness is to focus on yourself more and other people less. It makes perfect sense, after all: doing pleasurable things for me is fun, sacrifice and hard work are not fun; ergo, the secret to happiness must be to live for myself as much as possible. Right?

How shocked I was to discover that I was wrong — dead wrong. Part of fully understanding the concept of vocation was understanding that a vocation is not to be thought of as “what you do” as much as it is “whom you serve.”

Beyond Mommy: Knowing Who I Am by the fantastic Annette Lyon on Blog Segullah

Laura made it clear in no uncertain terms that once you had kids, wanting to be anything but their mother was selfish, wrong. She was thirty years my senior, a mother of ten. I was an 18-year-old college freshman. What did I know about motherhood and womanhood?

Maybe I was off my rocker. Maybe losing yourself was something good mothers did.

I struggled with the issue even after becoming a mom. I’d carved out a “me” area but worried it made me an inferior mother. . . .

Joy in the Journey from a member of Jane’s ward on What About Mom

I remember one particular time when I just HAD to clean out the refrigerator. My then three-year-old son was lonely because his sister was in school. He kept whining and bugging me to pick him up. I resisted and ended up getting angry at him and making him go take a nap, because I had an “important” job to do. Now I realize that HE was my important job. That certainly is not the only incident I could relate. I DO feel those pangs of guilt and remorse for not making Tyler the most important chore of the day.

Lessons Learned from The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Scribbit

• Moms have dreams too and not only is it okay to have interests outside of your children it’s a healthy thing that usually makes you a better mom if you don’t let it take over your real job.
• Motherhood takes amazing skill to be done properly but it can be done.
• Motherhood, while eternal, won’t always require the same things of me as it does now–it will change as I do.
• There are plenty of people who value motherhood so don’t undersell your talents or abilities or think you’re alone.
• Women can do most things just as well as men though usually in their own unique way.

These excerpts are only the beginning of the wisdom about motherhood these wonderful women have imparted, so be sure to check them all out!

What are your favorite posts about motherhood, from this list or from anywhere on the Internet?