In this picture I'm holding Talea (on the left), and Audrey (on the right).
If you can't tell, I am thoroughly enjoying this moment with my sisters and newest nieces. And, I just have to say that I am so grateful for my family, the awesome family I married into, and our amazing friends! We have been loved and supported so much by all of them through everything. You see, we are surrounded by champion family and friends who are always making sure we get to spend lots of time with their kids.
In fact, I've come to feel a love for my nieces and nephews, as well as some of my closest friends' children, that I can only describe as a motherly love. I'm grateful for such gracious family and friends who are so generous in sharing their children with me, since it's been through loving them that I've felt that yearning to be a mother.
Recognizing that there exists a motherly love in my own heart is such a comfort and blessing, as it reminds me that innately I am already a mother. There is nothing like holding a child and feeling that overwhelming love and desire to bless and protect in every way possible. And, between Marc's family and mine, we have plenty of opportunity to feel those feelings, since we have 43 nieces and nephews. How lucky are we?!
While we have found great joy in loving all 43 of them, there is still this love in our hearts reserved especially for our own. And, I have to tell you that it's very humbling to think of being able to share that love with a special child that will come to us through adoption. Even just the thought of it makes my whole body tingle with emotion. To receive the confidence and trust of a mother to love and care for her child... there is no greater gift or responsibility than that. I just know that when that day arrives, the love we share with that child will be multiplied - since it will be our top priority to pass on the profound love of the family he/she comes from.
While we tend to equate motherhood solely with maternity, in the Lord's language, the word mother has layers of meaning.... Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our very identity, our divine stature and nature, and the unique traits our Father gave us.
For reasons known to the Lord, some women are required to wait to have children. This delay is not easy for any righteous woman. But the Lord's timetable for each of us does not negate our nature. Some of us, then, must simply find other ways to mother. And all around us are those who need to be loved and led.
As daughters of our Heavenly Father, and as daughters of Eve, we are all mothers and we have always been mothers. And we each have the responsibility to love and help lead the rising generation.
Look around. Who needs you and your influence? If we really want to make a difference, it will happen as we mother those we have borne and those we are willing to bear with.
4 comments:
In January's Visiting Teaching Message it talks about having a Mother Heart, and that all women can have that and lay the foundation for when they will eventually be Mothers, whether in this life or the next.
I look forward to the day that we hear that you are able to adopt. Adoption is a wonderful thing.
I truly feel so blessed to be able to adopt! I love the things I have learned and the blessing I have recieved through our struggle to be parents and then to adopt! I feel the those who get to adopt are some very chosen few!
And I can't wait for YOUR day to come when you have your OWN adoption story to tell!
I love that post. There are times were I feel this love for my friends children that even though I didn't bare then that it is such an amazing love to feel for someone elses child. When I feel that , adoption JUST makes sense to me. ))))SQUEEZE((((
Megan, you made me cry. We are equally grateful for you and that brother of mine you married. My kids are now on a marshall arts kick because everyone wants to be just like Uncle Marc. We start Tai kwan do (sp???) this week. Zac is now the tallest and strongest one in his class but doesn't love team sports which makes everyone in school and church crazy. He wants to stay home and draw, sculpt, read comics and make music. It makes him grin when I tell him that he is just like my baby brother. He loves to think that he could turn out like his uncle. (he just read this over my shoulder and I asked him if this is true...he smiled and said "yea".)
P.S. Marc, you are taking such good care of mom. She can't stop talking about all you are doing for her on the computer. She is so proud of her ipod and brags about all that is on it. I thought I was going to have to try to give her lessons, I can't tell you how grateful I am that you are doing it. I swear you have the patience of Job.
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