Lightbulb Moments

Last night we went to the adult session of Stake Conference. One of the speakers, the mission president's wife, talked about when her four oldest children were at home, the oldest was 5 or 6. She talked about how she wasn't really enjoying motherhood. She loved her kids, but just felt overwhelmed.

It was so nice to hear someone else talk about this. I've heard women talk about feeling overwhelmed before, but it never hit me until last night that the overwhelming feeling could be for things other than just taking care of our children, that it was emotionally and spiritually overwhelming. At least, that's what I got from her talk.

Sometimes it seems like it should be so easy. I have three kids, they're all in school, and life isn't as demanding as it was when I had two in diapers and three at home at the same time.

It's so nice to have a lightbulb moment, when someone says something and I think, "Ahhh! Finally an explanation of how I feel!"

I often feel very overwhelmed with the responsibility of teaching my children. I am so afraid of what I might do wrong or mess up. It was so comforting to know I'm not the only one feeling so overwhelmed about those things.

I know others may have gotten something else from her talk, but this is what really hit me. And it was really what I needed to hear. When I talked to my husband about it, I told him it was like if he suddenly became CEO of his company. He would feel overwhelmed and not really know what to do.

I think anyone can clean a house, and anyone can take care of children, but it takes a really special and spiritually in-tune woman to be a mom who can teach her children well and raise them to be righteous individuals. What an overwhelming commitment!