Are you looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the mother or mother-in-law in your life? Is a good friend about to become a mother for the first time? Regardless which end of the spectrum of motherhood you happen to find yourself, this is a book that will appeal to you and give you answers to some of mothering’s most complicated questions, the largest of which surely must be: Am I good enough?
In this small book of advice and encouragement for mothers, Sister Nadauld charts out the different aspects of mothering and womanhood with chapters labeled such things as “A Woman of Faith,” which gives us an overview of what a faithful woman does and how she becomes a faithful woman, and “The Family – How Firm a Foundation,” which talks about how very important the family is to society and how we need those strong ties to buoy us up for the things we will face in our lives. “The Light at the End of the Tunnel” tells us that even on those darkest days of mothering, there will come again joy and peace. She speaks of the women of the handcart companies and then says:
“Such faith is your heritage. You are a daughter of the same Father they had and you have the same stuff in you they had.”
Sister Nadauld closes the book with her belief that as women and mothers, we are the Keepers of the Springs that swell up and feed life. As Keepers, she feels that there are three things we must do, and they are:
1. Teach and model traditional family values.
2. Teach and model moral values.
3.Use our influence.
I found this book to be encouraging and uplifting, all the while reminding me of the things I should be doing and helping me see the importance that I really do play in my family. Often, as a stay-at-home mom who really does stay home quite a bit, I find myself feeling as though my worth isn’t as great as it ought to be. This book helped me to see things from more of an eternal perspective and reminded me that I’m doing the single most important thing I can be right now – I’m caring for those who need me.
(This book was published in 2004 by Deseret Book.)
Related Blogs: