It's fun as I start to see some of the reasons/good things that come with this particular trial...Here are some of the ones that I have been thinking of today:
1. Richard mentioned in passing something I had already thought of, but it hit me even harder today. He said "I bet we are going to look back and be so grateful we had at least three wonderful years with just the two of us." This is the first thing that everyone tells us when they find out we don't have kids! "Enjoy this time you guys have together!!" We are so blessed to have this much time and have been able to do all of the fun things we have been blessed to do during this time. It really is a blessing, and as we are going on cruises, traveling, attending classes together, sleeping in, laying in bed talking after waking up and running out on a spontaneous date/shopping sprees I realize that these times are precious and once our children start coming, those days will be gone!
2. As I was reading the pregnancy blog of a friend today who had to wait 2 1/2 years before she got pregnant, she said something that really hit home to me:
"I never thought I would be so grateful that we had to wait so long, but it's really made it so we know that he's really a miracle and truely a huge blessing in our lives, not just something that happens to people once they get married."
With my background of being the oldest of 8 children and this being one of the first years my mom has not been pregnant or nursing (even then, she had her 6th miscarriage this past June or July...), I have been surrounded by children. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore children, but If we had had our 1st child a year ago like we should have, I would have totally taken advantage of our children and not been as grateful. With this experience, I will enjoy every single aspect of being a mother, and because it took us longer than we thought, I will just be happy to have children who are blowing out their diapers, whining or waking me up in the night. I will simply be so grateful that they are alive and with me. This is such a huge blessing, and I am grateful that I will not take advantage of the fact we have children but be so incredibly thankful they are in our home. (This all made sense in my head while I was thinking and cleaning...but it didn't come out as I thought...hope it makes sense haha)
3. I get to prepare to be the kind of mother my children deserve and the kind of mother that my mom was for me. This is a great blessing. I will be prepared and ready...well as much as someone can be for motherhood ;)
On that note, for all of those mothers who are reading this, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me prepare. What are some things that you wished you would have done to prepare? Or what are some things that you did do to prepare that really helped? Also, any of those not yet moms like me, what are you doing to prepare? I need some more ideas :)
I have the basics like reading my scriptures for at least 30 minutes, praying, trying to gain charity, having gratitude, making our home like a temple, being loving, being patient etc. on my list of goals, but what else do you think I should add?
"... be happy. The gospel is a thing of joy. It provides us with a reason for gladness. Of course there are times of sorrow. Of course there are hours of concern and anxiety. We all worry. But the Lord has told us to lift our hearts and rejoice. I see so many people,including many women, who seem never to see the sunshine, but who constantly walk with storms under cloudy skies. Cultivate an attitude of happiness. Cultivate a spirit of optimism. Walk with faith, rejoicing in the beauties of nature, in the goodness of those you love, in the testimony which you carry in your heart concerning things divine."--Gordon B. Hinckley (Ensign, Nov. 1984, pp. 91-92)
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