It's Important

Tonight was one of those mind-numbingly "mommy" nights. You know, the ones where you are so consumed with the mundane to-do list of parenting small children that you feel like your brain is turning to mush. One child peed her pants, two minutes later the other pooped hers, now they're playing in the sink, now they're fighting, now one spilled a cup of apple juice on the carpet (FOR THE TENTH FREAKING TIME TODAY), use the potty, brush teeth, stop fighting, get jammies on, stop getting out of bed, give your sister her blanket back..... it literally never ends. As I was scrubbing poop out of a pair of panties I found myself thinking, "I hate scrubbing poop. This is what it means to have kids. Why do I want more kids again?"

It's hard. It's exhausting. It tests all the limits of your patience, love, and compassion. And sometimes, it feels pointless.

Fast forward an hour. The girls actually fell asleep right away, yay! I started looking up articles for the Young Women in our ward to read during reflection time at our camp next week. (I was asked to be the Assistant Camp Director earlier this year and it has been awesome! I can't wait for camp!) Our theme this year is Embark (in the Service of God), so I was looking up articles on Service. One of the first ones I came across was by Elder Dallin H. Oaks*. Only a few paragraphs in, these few sentences just jumped right out at me:

"A familiar example of losing ourselves in the service of others—this one not unique to Latter-day Saints—is the sacrifice parents make for their children. Mothers suffer pain and loss of personal priorities and comforts to bear and rear each child. Fathers adjust their lives and priorities to support a family."

And then,

"We rejoice that so many Latter-day Saint couples are among that unselfish group who are willing to surrender their personal priorities and serve the Lord by bearing and rearing the children our Heavenly Father sends to their care."

Elder Oaks keeping it real, here, folks. "Mothers suffer pain and loss," "Fathers adjust their lives and priorities," parents "surrender personal priorities and serve."

And then the still voice of the Spirit entered my mind. Why do I do these things? "It's important."

It's not the first time the Spirit has whispered these truths to my mind in moments when the hardships of motherhood seem particularly hard to bear. I'm always glad of the reminder. It's important work. My children are important. In twenty or so years, they'll be gone and I'll have the rest of my life to explore personal pursuits, travel, write, or anything else. It's exactly the opposite of the message the world sends lately. But I believe it's true.

Motherhood--it's important.

These hoodlums don't appreciate what I do for them.

But it's okay--it's not about me anyway.

It's all for them.

*Full conference talk here: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/04/unselfish-service?lang=eng&query=service+to+others