I know I felt the subtle pull of other’s opinions when I left the workplace in spite of my business degree and the wealth of experience I’d gotten throughout my 20’s. I just couldn’t face sending my little one off to have someone else care for her. Even so, my experience was different when my third girl entered our lives. Before she was three years old, due to our financial situation- I was forced into the workplace and had to put her in daycare. According to Weber, in that circumstance, “…work in addition to mothering, never in lieu of mothering.”
My favorite part of The Eternal Mark of a Mom was getting a glimpse into the author’s own experience as a mother. Looking back on her life with her now grown boys, she shared candidly about their lives and her heart to fulfill her vital role in their lives.
As I’ve helped my girls negotiate various stages in their young lives, this book spoke to me when Weber described the child’s life experience as the lines of a picture, with a mom having the power to provide colors to fill those images with richer life. No condemnation for not having done everything right thus far- just an opportunity to gain a better understanding of how I can best fill in those hues with the choices I make going forward. There are some things I would do differently for sure, however, there are also things that I would never, ever change.
Scrubbing with all I’ve got, the cereal eventually comes off of the bowl, and I feel encouraged and blessed- in spite of the clutter that sometimes grows – to have the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on the lives of my daughters. Thanks for the encouragement, Linda.
