"Women of God can never be like women of the world.
The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender.
There are enough women who are coarse;
we need women who are kind.
There are enough women who are rude;
we need women who are refined.
we need women who are refined.
We have enough women of fame and fortune;
we need more women of faith.
we need more women of faith.
We have enough greed; we need more goodness.
We have enough vanity; we need more virtue.
We have enough popularity; we need more purity."
~Margaret D. Nadauld
As you can probably tell, I am passionate about motherhood. In fact, I believe that motherhood is the greatest of all work a woman can do in this life!
I am an LDS (Mormon) homeschooling mother of eleven children, ages 18 down to 2 years old. I have always wanted a large family, but my definition of "large" keeps changing all the time...
My husband and I met in a community production of the musical "My Fair Lady" right after his return from serving an LDS mission. I was a senior in high school. (He loves to tell everyone that he finished "raising" me. *grin*) We've now been married for 20 wonderful years.
As a child and teen, I loved performing in musicals, plays and many choirs. I majored in Theatre Arts at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho), and then as an adult, I continued to participate in community theatre as both a performer and director.
But one day, thanks to the inspired words of my dear husband, I stopped leaving my home to pursue my interests, and instead worked to become a better homemaker and mother. I had been taught to have the spiritual conviction to be a "stay-at-home mom", but I had not availed myself of the tools or the time needed to learn the necessary skills to be successful.
So I read books, talked to great women I admired, and worked hard to open my mind and change my paradigm about what femininity and motherhood meant to me in my life. The more I learned, the more I mourned over the time and efforts I had spent away from my little children and loyal husband. I also began to wonder why my generation had been so neglected in homemaking skills and education. And I also came to love the sacred calling and mission of MOTHERS.
I was searching for a website or blog that could help me strengthen and inspire me in my life's work. I found lots of lovely resources for women of almost every religion-- except my own, which is Latter-Day Saint, or Mormon.
I was disappointed-- until the words of Gandhi came to my mind:
"BE the change you wish to see in the world."And I stopped worrying about what resources weren't out there for me, and founded Old-Fashioned Motherhood!
So, why do I use the phrase "Old-Fashioned Motherhood"? I use this term because in my studies on the subject of homemaking, I have been astounded by the huge amounts of homemaking knowledge our fore-mothers had that has vanished from our modern world. However, I am so encouraged and inspired by all the women and mothers out there who are a part of the growing homemaking movement.
Enlightened women are recognizing that there is power and influence in nurturing our families and serving them in our homes!
If I can help even one mother to realize how beautiful and wonderful the work of motherhood is, I will feel I am fulfilling my mission.
Even if that one mother is me.
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| Our Eternal Family, December 2010 |
I pray that this blog will inspire and help you to stand strong and proud in a world that has yet to acknowledge the vital contributions that happen every day, all over the world, in the HOME.
May God bless you in the greatest role of a lifetime-- your role as MOTHER.
Love,
