On Mother’s Day
By Sariah S. Wilson
So to give an accounting of my recent activities - I have approximately 15,000 words to go on the book (and I really hope there’s that much left of the story to tell - I won’t know until I get there), the baby’s room has been cleared out and painted (now we need to put up the wallpaper border and get the furniture moved back in), the boys’ birthday parties are ready go to, invites sent, everything coordinated, cakes ordered (and the first one will be happening tomorrow night), and we have yet another Mother’s Day baptism to add to the list - my oldest is getting baptized today after church in a program entirely made up of family members. There are times like this when large families are the absolute best!
I’m breathing a little easier these days, although I’m still feeling pretty overwhelmed. I can hardly wait until the baby comes and we can both slow down for a little while.
If anyone picked up “Of Infinite Worth,” the Mother’s Day compilation that both Kerry and I participated in, you already know that I think my mom is pretty amazing. I wrote that essay not even knowing the book would be about being a mother. I was asked to write a positive pro-woman sort of essay and I didn’t have to look further than my own backyard.
I know that everyone has their own tales of mothers who sacrificed for them and their siblings. Or of mothers who led particularly hard lives. I suppose that’s part of what it is to be a mother, to love so unconditionally that other things fall to the wayside.
I also never knew that many of the hardships in my mother’s own life would become things I would have to deal with in mine, and how grateful I am for her example and her wisdom in helping me through these times.
Her life has also differed drastically from my own - for example she had a very difficult poverty filled childhood with an alcoholic father, although I haven’t ever heard her complain about it.
She chose to have nine children. She wanted all of us, and as I go through my own pregnancy now, I know exactly what she went through with us. She threw up all nine months like I do. She suffered tremendously through each pregnancy (so much so that with the last couple they wanted to hospitalize her, but she couldn’t), and then the woman gave birth naturally to each of us, because she didn’t want us harmed in any way. I think that alone earns her the highest level of the kingdom. ;)
She had an extremely handicapped child, who when she was a teenager had the mental capacity of a toddler. She ran a daycare out of her home so that she could be home with her own children. When I look back, I honestly don’t know how my mother did it all.
She had to endure the death of my handicapped sister from a freak seizure. My mom often reminds me of Job - her life seems to be filled with one hardship after the next.
Even now - as my brother serves his mission in Russia - at his farewell many people told my parents to prepare for a sudden upswing in their financial situation. I had heard the same thing myself, that parents supporting missionaries often found themselves doing extremely well in their businesses. Do you know what happened the day my brother entered the MTC? My dad lost his job.
So even now they still struggle. My mother will admit that this is because of the choice they made to have a large family, which they did because they felt it was what the prophets taught and what they thought was right for them.
She has had many blessings in her life amidst all the crises. She will be the first to tell you in how many ways the Lord has blessed her.
Like today, she will get to watch as her oldest grandson, a boy that we didn’t know if he would ever speak or interact with the world around him, enters the waters of baptism. She will get to see the benefits of living the life that she did, of children who surround her and love her and raise their own children to be like her.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.
So to give an accounting of my recent activities - I have approximately 15,000 words to go on the book (and I really hope there’s that much left of the story to tell - I won’t know until I get there), the baby’s room has been cleared out and painted (now we need to put up the wallpaper border and get the furniture moved back in), the boys’ birthday parties are ready go to, invites sent, everything coordinated, cakes ordered (and the first one will be happening tomorrow night), and we have yet another Mother’s Day baptism to add to the list - my oldest is getting baptized today after church in a program entirely made up of family members. There are times like this when large families are the absolute best!
I’m breathing a little easier these days, although I’m still feeling pretty overwhelmed. I can hardly wait until the baby comes and we can both slow down for a little while.
If anyone picked up “Of Infinite Worth,” the Mother’s Day compilation that both Kerry and I participated in, you already know that I think my mom is pretty amazing. I wrote that essay not even knowing the book would be about being a mother. I was asked to write a positive pro-woman sort of essay and I didn’t have to look further than my own backyard.
I know that everyone has their own tales of mothers who sacrificed for them and their siblings. Or of mothers who led particularly hard lives. I suppose that’s part of what it is to be a mother, to love so unconditionally that other things fall to the wayside.
I also never knew that many of the hardships in my mother’s own life would become things I would have to deal with in mine, and how grateful I am for her example and her wisdom in helping me through these times.
Her life has also differed drastically from my own - for example she had a very difficult poverty filled childhood with an alcoholic father, although I haven’t ever heard her complain about it.
She chose to have nine children. She wanted all of us, and as I go through my own pregnancy now, I know exactly what she went through with us. She threw up all nine months like I do. She suffered tremendously through each pregnancy (so much so that with the last couple they wanted to hospitalize her, but she couldn’t), and then the woman gave birth naturally to each of us, because she didn’t want us harmed in any way. I think that alone earns her the highest level of the kingdom. ;)
She had an extremely handicapped child, who when she was a teenager had the mental capacity of a toddler. She ran a daycare out of her home so that she could be home with her own children. When I look back, I honestly don’t know how my mother did it all.
She had to endure the death of my handicapped sister from a freak seizure. My mom often reminds me of Job - her life seems to be filled with one hardship after the next.
Even now - as my brother serves his mission in Russia - at his farewell many people told my parents to prepare for a sudden upswing in their financial situation. I had heard the same thing myself, that parents supporting missionaries often found themselves doing extremely well in their businesses. Do you know what happened the day my brother entered the MTC? My dad lost his job.
So even now they still struggle. My mother will admit that this is because of the choice they made to have a large family, which they did because they felt it was what the prophets taught and what they thought was right for them.
She has had many blessings in her life amidst all the crises. She will be the first to tell you in how many ways the Lord has blessed her.
Like today, she will get to watch as her oldest grandson, a boy that we didn’t know if he would ever speak or interact with the world around him, enters the waters of baptism. She will get to see the benefits of living the life that she did, of children who surround her and love her and raise their own children to be like her.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.
Sariah Wilson — 5/13/2007 09:55:00 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Beautiful post, Sariah. You are lucky to have such a mother and she is lucky to have such a daughter.
I hope all went well with the baptism.
You better rest, you're making me tired with your post!
Rebecca Talley
I'm so glad you survived, Sariah! Or are surviving, at least! What a beautiful post. I always recommend that people read your essay in the little Mother's Day booklet first. I'll say one thing (more) for your mother: she raises truly remarkable daughters!
Just for that Kerry, I am buying your book! My mom is freakin'(yes, I am living in Utah so I get to use this word now) awesome. One thing that always makes me revere her is while she was working full time, still had 6 kids at home, and was the Relief Society of our ward, she went back to school and made the Dean's List. She is always a reminder that when you are living righteously there is enough time to get everything done. Needless to say, when I got to college, I definitely tried harder.
Elizabeth
P.S.- I was just thinking how last year, I was wishing Kaleb a happy birthday on this blog. I can't believe you guys have been going strong for so long! Good job team!
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