Veteran Moms

I'm a mom and a veteran mom at that. Some things I've survived are the so-called terrible twos, fearsome fourteens, and on the beginning, middle and tail end of the terrifying twenties. A few years have gone by where I've sent kids to preschool, scout camp, Sylvan, dates, college, out with friends I don't know...just to hang out - I think that's been replaced with the old-fashioned dating where boy comes to girls house to meet parents, open car door for young lady, go on date, come home at respectable hour. Not much to worry about. In short I've spent the last 31 years of my life trying (and mostly failing) to be the kind of mother they talk about at church, especially on Mothers Day. No fame or fortune. Heck, I haven't even gotten enough sleep. The sleep I can live with or without. The Apostle Neal A. Maxwell, wrote, "When the surf of centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution, formed outside telestial time." Thank goodness. There's never been enough telestial time to accomplish everything I think I should do, such as sleep. My thanks to Elder Maxwell, for the assurance to all of us mothers that - every late night, every early morning, every single minute - mothering is the best way we could possibly spend our lives. I'd do it over in a heartbeat......well, almost all of it.