I recently read “Confessions of a Completely Insane Mother by Kersten Campbell. Kersten is the mother of five and a convert to the church. This book is a collection of essays of her reflections on motherhood and the church. As Kersten says in her introduction she has “seasoned each story with a generous helping of hyperbole.” The result is a great bunch of essays that had me laughing out loud.
I read this book over Easter weekend when I was spending time with family. It’s a great book to read in busy situations or when you need a quick pick me up because the chapters are short, and there is not an overarching storyline that you have to follow. However each chapter also teaches a subtle lesson about not taking the hard things in life too seriously.
Kersten covers everything from her adventures in laundry and shortcuts she tried to take to her war with the insects eating her vegetable garden. Through each incident you get the sense that she is living the gospel, but you can also appreciate those frustrating moments we all have as we strive to do our best, and sometimes fall short. Her story of family scripture study falls a bit too close to my family’s experience for comfort, but that just gives me the courage to keep on trying. I also love the way that she describes her interactions with her husband. Too funny. And her enthusiasm for projects that quickly wane, I’ve been there too.
This would be a great Mother’s day gift for any mother, and a fun read for anyone. Kersten captures the art of telling each story so that you want to keep reading, and laughing. But the book leaves you with a sense of hope and perspective that everything is going to be okay.
Related Articles:
Contentment: Inspiring Thoughts for LDS Mothers – Maria Covey Cole
Tender Mercies: Stories to Stir the Soul – Joy Robinson
Mary, Martha and Me: Seeking the One Thing that is Needful – Camille Fonk