Not a "Real" Job?

I am sure, by now, you have come to know how I feel about the powerful role of a Mother. I also do my best to teach the importance of that role to my children -- my daughter, and as equally important, my sons. I have taught them that there is nothing more important that a woman could do than to be a good mother. As a mother you influence generations of time, you better society, improve the economy, and so on, and so forth, forever.

My children believe me -- just as they should. So, at school, when it came time for Sammi to write down what she wanted to be when she grew up, naturally, she wrote, "A mom." My heart soared when she showed me her drawing, and then explained it to me. What joy!! Then yesterday, Sammi came up to me and said, "Mommy, my friend (whom she has had LOTS of issues with) said being a mom is not a real job." Well, of course I cleared that confusion up really quickly, and she was once again confident in her job of choice. :-)

I once again realized how the world views the sacred role of motherhood. Even a first grader does not place value on the job that could change the future more than any other profession! As for me, I do not care how the world feels regarding my role as a mother. If I were the last mother standing, and all women around me united against me -- I would be immovable!

On that note, I gathered just a very few items of interest regarding motherhood . . .

Russel M. Nelson stated: During my professional career as a doctor of medicine, I was occasionally asked why I chose to do that difficult work. I responded with my opinion that the highest and noblest work in this life is that of a mother. Since that option was not available to me, I thought that caring for the sick might come close. I tried to care for my patients as compassionately and competently as Mother cared for me.

Continued. . .

Many years ago the First Presidency issued a statement that has had a profound and lasting influence upon me. “Motherhood,” they wrote, “is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels.”

David O. McKay stated: Motherhood is the greatest potential influence either for good or ill in human life. The mother’s image is the first that stamps itself on the … young child’s mind. It is her caress that first awakens a sense of security; her kiss, the first realization of affection; her sympathy and tenderness, the first assurance that there is love in the world.”

Gordon B. Hinckley stated: God bless you, dear friends. Do not trade your birthright as a mother for some bauble of passing value. Let your first interest be in your home. The baby you hold in your arms will grow quickly as the sunrise and the sunset of the rushing days. I hope that when that occurs you will not be led to exclaim as did King Lear, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child!” (King Lear, I, iv, 312). Rather, I hope that you will have every reason to be proud concerning your children, to have love for them, to have faith in them, to see them grow in righteousness and virtue before the Lord, to see them become useful and productive members of society. If with all you have done there is an occasional failure, you can still say, “At least I did the very best of which I was capable. I tried as hard as I knew how. I let nothing stand in the way of my role as a mother.” Failures will be few under such circumstances.

The profound statements could go on and on. There is never any reason for a mother to doubt herself and her importance -- or look upon herself as "less" because she is not performing some "worldly" job. I do understand that there are mothers who MUST work, but as prophets have said, it is a very small number, and we must consider, why are we working? Personal fulfilment, extra spending cash, to feel "good" about ourselves? I know from personal experience and going through times of poverty, that it is truly amazing how little you really need -- wants are a whole different story.

I can even look back and see that some of those poverty-filled times were also some of the sweetest. We grew closer as a family, and we grew closer to the Lord. Many pioneers claimed they would not take back all the suffering they went through, because of the relationship that they formed with Heavenly Father along the way. I feel the same about motherhood, and the things that we have gone through as a family. I would not change a thing!

There is so much fulfillment to be had within the home. There are so many ways to better yourself, too! I find as the years go on my joy continues to increase -- I look back on the beginning and I almost have to laugh! What good times we have had!

Now, aside from all the good stuff, I also found this interesting piece of information on CNN.com. It lists what the salary would be for a stay-at-home mother if they were paid for their services. :-)

By Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney.com senior staff writer
May 3, 2006: 11:22 AM EDT
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) – Raising children to be productive members of society is an invaluable contribution. But you don't get cold cash for that kind of work - this society values only those economic contributions one makes outside of the home.

So it's worth asking just how much would a mother be paid if she did all that she did in the world of real paychecks?

Salary.com on Wednesday released its annual market valuation of a mother's work. After talking with 400 stay-at-home and working mothers, it determined the 10 major jobs a mother performs at home and the number of hours she typically devotes to each of those jobs.

Researchers then tried to determine the competitive market value that an employer would pay for one person to do a blend of those 10 jobs seven days a week. Salary.com determined that a stay-at-home mother might be paid as much as $134,121 for her contributions as a housekeeper, cook, day care center teacher, janitor and CEO, among other functions. (See full list at right.) The stay-at-home mothers surveyed said they logged a total of 92 hours a week performing those jobs.

Of course, I believe motherhood is priceless! Now, to address the statement above from a first grader, "Not a real job". Well, I think the true mothers of the world, you know, the mothers who "know" -- they would have to disagree! Motherhood is the most important "job" there is!! The only job that will carry over into the eternities!