Do you hate Mother's Day?

Many women hate Mother’s Day for a variety of reasons. Some women feel like they are failing with their children and Mother’s Day was just sent to mock them. Other women struggle because they would love to have children, but have not yet been blessed because of infertility or lack of matrimony. Some women feel like its a day of disappointment, because no amount of flowers, jewelry, or lotion can truly represent all the hard work they actually put in every single day. It can be a really hard day regardless of the reason! Last year I attended my Mom’s ward on Mother’s Day and heard the most amazing lesson in Relief Society. A woman who has 4 or 5 children and seems to always have it together stood up and declared that she has always struggled with Mother’s Day. She then continued to tell us that only after she started focusing on her own Mother (and not herself) was she able to really enjoy the day. No matter what situation we are in with our own state of motherhood, I believe we can all find happiness and joy by focusing on our own mothers. Even if you don’t like your own mom, you can share mine! As I have been thinking about my own mom, I have been contemplating all she has done for me! I recognize now that I am a mother, that I will never TRULY understand everything she did for me. My mom went through a lot to get to where she is today. Her father died when she was eleven and she spent much of her teenage years trying to care for and comfort her own mother. She met my dad in high school and married him at 18. They wanted children right away, but weren’t able to have them for 6 years. My mom went through countless tests, countless drugs that mess with everything about your body, and countless disappointments. She suffered miscarriages and the loss of her first baby after he was born around 24 weeks gestation. On top of all this, she and my dad spent thousands of dollars for all the treatments. She is one of the strongest most patient women I know! She finally found a drug that worked and had my sister and I two years apart. She worked full time so my dad wouldn’t have to work 2 or 3 jobs. After raising two very different daughters and helping them each through their own trials and struggles she welcomed her own mother into her home to care for her. She cared for my grandmother daily for about 3 years. She now takes care of my dad’s parents. My mom is a wonderful wonderful person and I know she often doubts herself but she truly is the best mother I could ever ask for! We all doubt ourselves and wonder if we are doing enough. I think the most important judge of our womanhood and motherhood is God. He knows our hearts and our thoughts and he sees our little efforts every day. So whether you are dreaming about a day when you’ll have your own husband and children, wishing that you could just get pregnant like all the fertile-Mertiles surrounding you, or wondering if anyone even notices the toilet you cleaned; remember to think of how much the God that created you loves you! If you are struggling this Mother’s Day think of your own mom or other women in your life that have impacted you and remember that God loves you!