Was I Meant To Be A Mother Today?

Yesterday was a bad day. I just didn't have the energy or patience that I usually have to be Cameron's mommy all day! He didn't do anything out of the ordinary to make me upset, it just felt like I was at the end of my rope all day long. For some reason, I felt like I was being given a tad bit more than I could handle. And I don't know why, because like I said, Cameron wasn't doing anything particularly wrong. So then I started to wonder if it was just me. Maybe I needed an attitude adjustment. Maybe Satan was trying to get me down and make me feel like motherhood wasn't for me. Maybe I was just being selfish. So I decided to look online for some Ensign articles about motherhood. I found a talk from the June 1998 Ensign entitled, "Was I Meant To Be A Mother Today?" It was written by Mary Ellen Bramwell, a woman from American Fork, Utah. Her article started out by describing the events of one particular morning in her home, which was obviously much worse than my day had been. She says, "We've all had days like that. They may vary in detail, but the feelings of discouragement are the same. On those days I find myself teaching, begging, disciplining, and then becoming frazzled. Somewhere in the midst of this I end up in my bedroom asking, 'Was I meant to be a mother today? Why did Heavenly Father put his trust in my to care for these spirits?'"
The article was just what I needed! She was talking about me! She goes on to give her advice on maintaining happiness and sanity as a mother. She talks about finding friends for both you and your children to spend time with outside the house, she talks about intellectual stimulation such as reading books and taking college courses, and then she talks about keeping spiritual habits "intact".
At the end of the article I realized that it hadn't been Satan who had given me those feelings of doubt and frustration, rather it had been a loving Heavenly Father who wanted to use the opportunity to lift me up a little higher and make me want to be a better mom. I don't think that we can progress if we are always comfortable where we are at. Tomorrow is going to be filled with dirty diapers, flung Cheerios and milk, tugging at my sleeve and pantleg, massive piles of dishes to be washed, groceries to be bought, laundry to fold, and boo-boo's to be kissed. And I only have 1 kid so far! But tomorrow will be a good day. President David O. McKay promised, "She who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters, whose influence will be felt through generations to come.....deserves the highest honor that man can give, and the choicest blessings of God."