Birth on on the mind

No, I am not pregnant, if you were wondering. . .

After reading that last article, I was reminded of a couple posts Heather had on Women in the Scriptures that I had not yet read.  In one post, she wrote about the Physicality of Birth.  I always wonder what I can do to teach my daughters to value motherhood, and she gave me some ideas:

We do so much to teach young men about the importance of their priesthood callings and we help prepare them for the hard work they have ahead of them as missionaries and as leaders. From a young age young men know that what they are going to be asked to do will be hard but that they will be given strengthen from God to handle it. Why don't we teach our young women from a young age that what they are going to be called to do will be hard, physically, but that God will give them the strength to handle it. Why aren't we teaching them about the symbolism and importance of birth and motherhood? Why aren't we helping prepare them, from the time they are 12, to handle the physicality of bearing children and motherhood? I can't help but think that if we were doing these things that not as many women would be scared of becoming mothers. I think that if men and women really understood the power and symbolism behind birth that the birth process would be treated much differently that it is. I also think that motherhood would be more valued in society.

She also blogged about The Importance of Birth and spoke of our divine roles as compared to Adam and Eve (reminds me of my previous post about birth as well as The Two Trees by Cassler on my sidebar):

This is Eve's gift to us... the promise of birth. That through our mothers, the daughters of Eve, all of God's children will partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and literally become the fruit of that tree. Through the power of God they will be born into this world through blood, water and the spirit and will be given a probationary time. During this probationary time it is the role of mothers and fathers to help their children to become worthy to pass through the second veil, the tree of life, through the water, blood, and spirit of Jesus Christ. This is Adam's gift to us---as the High Priest of this earth acting in authority for Jesus Christ--- the promise of re-birth.

The more I think about being a mother, I can't help but wonder if it's not so much the numbers of children you have (or don't or can't have) in this life, but where your heart is and what your attitude toward motherhood is.  If we have the potential to continue to be mothers in the eternities and WANT that, I suppose we'd better learn to love and appreciate it in this life.

Caretakers of Light

Today Steph posted The Sacrament of Birth on Empowering LDS Women. In her post she references an article entitled The Sacrament of Birth by Analiesa Leonhardt regarding women and their important role as mothers and the parallels to Jesus Christ. I took the time to go read the full article and it was just fascinating!

If you don't want to read the whole article, Steph shares some quotes she liked. Additionally, I liked:

In the human experience, the most extreme bodily sacrifice for another’s life is childbirth. A renowned obstetrician commented that birth, “has the potential to transform the ways in which we think about ourselves. As one patient said to [her], ‘I felt powerful and in touch with something within me that I never knew was there. I took my place among the lineage of women as mothers." This empowerment is not only a subjective experience. Neuroscientists have determined that hormones released in a woman’s body during pregnancy and nursing contribute directly to an increase in brain power. With a permanent and quantifiable increase in dendrites and glial cells a mother has a greater capacity to store long-term memory, develop increased motivation and empathy, increase multitasking and prioritizing skills, and decrease fear. Just as the Savior’s atoning act increased his capacity to love us, so a mother’s sacrifice increases her capacity to fulfill her great role. . . .

Motherhood and birth are so obviously saturated in sacredness, why is a mother’s work so often dismissed as common-place, tedious, and even dirty? Perhaps the answer is simply in the very commonness of it. It was the every-day familiarity people had with Jesus Christ that led many to dismiss him as simply the son of Joseph the carpenter.

A few stats from the Mint.com blog

My husband pointed out these stats from Mint.com regarding social change:


50% of people 65 and over believe "The main purpose of marriage is mutual happiness and fulfillment rather than child-raising."  However, only 70% of Baby Boomers and Millenials agree.


66% of Baby Boomers agree that "Divorce is preferable to staying in an unhappy marriage," however, only 54% of Millenials and Generation Xers agree.

To me, it sounds like people get married for personal satisfaction, rather than to have children; whereas, younger people are more likely to tough out a more difficult marriage (I'd assume at least if there are children in the family, anyway).  Maybe the younger people had parents who divorced and learned that's not something they want to do.

We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice In Christ: Doing My Dream Job

We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice In Christ: Doing My Dream Job

I just read this fantastic story of a woman, Jocelyn Christensen, who gave up a great career because she wanted to be a mom. Very cool.

My question is, what things during her life influenced her to want to be a mom?

Maybe I should watch t.v. a little more often

My neck has been kind of stiff now for, uh, a couple years.  I've had a few headaches more than normal and occasional neck pain that gets in the way of driving and lifting children, but it eventually goes away, mostly.  I've just lived with it.  Hey, I've lived with back pain before, why not neck pain now?  If it's not one thing, it's something else, right?

For my birthday this year, I thought I'd get a really good full-body massage.  The massage lady ended up focusing on my shoulders, neck, a little of my back, and didn't get anywhere else. My neck was totally locked up.  I didn't tell her for how long it's been that way.  We set up another appointment for a few days later.  Again, most of the work was on the neck and shoulders.

I asked her why the problems in my neck.  She figured it was perhaps some sleep posture, the physical demands of being a mother, and probably just being busy (stress).  She said the occasional headaches are a warning sign and I should do more stretching of warm muscles.

I told her when I've driven lately I've tried to focus on relaxing my neck.  I can always feel I'm tense there and I have to conscientiously try and relax.  I then realized that I almost never take time to relax.  I don't usually do passive activities.  I rarely sit back to enjoy a book and nearly never watch t.v.  If we watch anything, it's a documentary on pbs.org and, of course, I have to be multi-tasking:  hemming pants, hand stitching a neckline, cutting out a pattern.

For many years, my husband and I have tried to be very productive.  We try and be "faucets," not "drains."  We try and not waste time.  We make the most of it.

However, productivity has it's drawbacks.  I realize that sometimes, our minds are willing, but our bodies are not.  I'm reminded of how precious and fragile my body is, and there's no need to run faster than I have strength (D&C 10:4).  A worn out mother is pretty useless.  Sounds like I need to kick back, relax, quiet those muscles, and watch some t.v.

Beautiful Thoughts on Being a Woman

After Bridget posted regarding the Christian Feminist Essay, I went and read a little more on C. Jane's blog.  She describes womanhood just beautifully a few different times:

But as it pertains to my womanhood, my essence as well as in my body, I feel deeply inside of me that there is something so beautiful, eternal and holy about being a female that equality becomes inexplicable. And for his part, my husband feels it too--he directs the force I feel, supporting me in this path of female holiness. I think it's given to every female and receiving male, though hard to express intellectually, with a restricted vocabulary, it undeniably exists. When treated with firm respect by the woman herself and a man full of unrestricted charity, it becomes a powerful source of revelation and transcendence--a place where the importance of gender leads to the paradise of being One.

It something like this: in a Christ-covenanted marriage, a man becomes immortal when he is with a woman, because in her is the key to eternal life. And perhaps what we think is a typical patriarchal, male-led church is the greatest cover up for the most truthful, matriarchal system the world has ever known.  (12/2/10)

 And:

Our bodies are built to be strong in principal and natural femininity. Femininity looks different on every woman-- it is the essence that sets us apart from each other, and from man. Femininity isn't about dresses, make-up or shoes, it is about fulfilling our specific female identity. Only we know what that is, but it is encoded in our bodies. It looks good on us. And sadly, the sacredness of our bodies are the most exploited entity on this planet.

But we can change that too.

Women will seek out what feels inherently best to them--the simple life, the complicated life, the busy life, the communal life. I am learning to trust this as we all share the same birthright of being female. If women want labels, so be it. As for me, Daughter of God is all-encompassing. It is as practical as buying cleaning solvent from the door-to-door salesman, to leaving an unhealthy marriage. I know the women who came before me made sacrifices, fought battles and picked hard choices. I know they were led by the same inner voice I hear today, the voice of a loving God who champions his daughters, gives them hope in all things if they seek it, and looks after them even in the darkest of places. It is impossible to comprehend just how powerful he made us. Sometimes I get a glimpse, and it sends me reeling for days. (3/25/10)

Christian Feminist Essay

CJane hosted a very interesting essay by a Christian feminist and her views on the need for true equality between men and women. She makes the point that while many can say that feminism and gender issues are not needed anymore, for millions around the world issues like violence against women and unequal treatment are sadly still very, very real. Check it out at:

http://blog.cjanerun.com/2011/03/hannah-mudges-faith-and-feminism-my.html

I really liked a few things that she said. She said that Galatians 3:28 was really important to her in proving the need for equality and it says, "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." I love the idea of us all being one in purpose.

I also loved the quote she used from poet Nancy Smith, "For every woman who takes a step toward her own liberation, there is a man who finds the way to freedom has been made a little easier."