Always having to have something exciting going on in my life, and this time is no exception…. I am happy to announce that I am expecting again… #7.
I am the oldest of 11 children. I thought my mom was amazing. She seems to live to bring children into the world. Being the oldest, I had the chance to take care of many of those kids. I was pretty good at it. I figured I would make a pretty good mother. That was how I felt up until my first oldest was born. This child, was SO colicky, I couldn’t even believe it. She was SO difficult!!! I’d call my mom and ask her how she did it. Her response was very telling, “I never had one of those…” 11 kids and not a colicky one in the bunch…. wow, I felt my education was lacking. I knew I didn’t want to have as many kids as my mom did, but I vowed that if I had even one more child like this one, that would be it. 2 kids would be fine, and all I could handle.
Somehow I’ve been able to manage. Heavenly Father had more kids he wanted to send to us. One at a time they come, each bringing their unique challenges, but I’ve learned so much from each of them. Right now, I’m pretty tired. It’s hard to get anything done in the day. I had a really rough time there for a little bit with the fact that I wasn’t “do”ing anything. One of my good friends, gently reminded me that it was 6 “Be’s” President Hinckley gave us, and not 6 “Do’s”. I knew that was true, but it wasn’t until I received a very kind note from a young women in our ward, that I finally began to believe in the “Be” of “Being a Mom”. She wrote just the sweetest note, expressing her thankfulness for my example, in using my talents, but even more especially for my example as a mother. She said that she watches me and sees the patience that I have with my children (she must not be watching ALL the time!) and that she hopes to someday be as good of a mom as me. It made me cry. It was just so sweet. Maybe I’m not “Do”ing anything, but maybe there is something in the “Be”ing.
It’s been hard to slow down my life and not to do so much, but I’ve been able to enjoy it more. I take a nap, and when I feel up to it, I go read with my kids. I engage in a nice conversation. I try to do a little laundry before I fall asleep again. This should pass soon, but I hope that I don’t forget the little bit of perspective that I’ve gained. I’m learning to better appreciate “Be”ing a mom…
Lindy Kerby
Lindy Kerby is an Inspirational Speaker, Singer/Songwriter, and Mentor.
She has written or worked on over 300 songs and has three inspirational music albums. Lindy loves helping others discover the songs of their heart and help them find the hope, courage and confidence to share those songs with others. Lindy is mother to 7 children and has one beautiful grandbaby.