November 27, 2023
By Brandy Burningham
You receive the Nobel Prize! You receive your PhD! You become CEO of a Fortune 500 corporation! All of these are amazing feats, but what if I told you your most important feat is that of being a mother. C.S. Lewis put it this way. He said, “Homemaking is surely in reality the most important work in the world. What do ships, railways, mines, cars, government, etc. exist for except that people may be fed, warmed, and safe in their homes?…The homemaker’s job is one for which all others exist” (Lewis, 1955).
I asked some of my friends what they thought was the most important thing about being a mother. One friend said, “The most important thing I do as a mom is being that tether that will keep them grounded to their spiritual, physical, emotional, or financial goals and dreams.” She expresses her thoughts so well. Mothers do keep you grounded, and help you reach your goals. Another friend said, “Nothing can take that love away.” As Mothers we love our children unconditionally no matter what. My friend said, “Staying off social media. I’m not distracted by my phone. It allows me to make eye contact with my kids when I’m not head-first in my phone.” This is so true. We can be so focused on the things around us that we don’t pay attention to our children, which is where our focus should be.The last friend I asked said, “I think it’s important to have fun. Life is challenging and it’s overwhelming and stressful. But it’s also so amazing and wonderful and fun. I think it’s important for my kids to see me having fun and enjoying life with them.” This is an important point. Our children should see their mothers as upbeat, positive, and enjoying their role as mothers.
The Reader’s Digest website shared this story. It is called The Greatest Adventure.
“When doctors told us we would never have children, we decided to travel and seek adventure around the world. Shows at the Sydney Opera House. Tables and buffets in Las Vegas. Majestic fjords in Bergen. Tranquil beaches in Honolulu. Abandoned castles and old churches in the Scottish Isles. Endless pools in the Bahamas. Races at Daytona. We were about to book a trip to the Blue Lagoon when we learned I was pregnant. Now, with our toddler, we travel very little. Parenting, it turns out, is the greatest adventure of all” (Colandrea, 2023).
I love the quote from Rudyard Kipling, “God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers” (Kipling, 2023). In this age where motherhood is denigrated and any profession- but motherhood- is extolled as the path to empowerment for women, here is the reality: Mothers have an important role to play in their children’s lives. If you are a mother, never forget how important your responsibility and your contribution in the lives of your children is. To them you matter, and to them you are irreplaceable. You are one of the most important influences in your children’s lives. You represent love and stability in this crazy world, and don’t ever forget that.
