I think (and worry!) a lot about being a mother: Why aren’t my children sleeping through the night? Are we eating enough healthy foods? How can we have meaningful Family Home Evening, prayers and scripture study? How do I encourage my children to be nice to each other? Discipline? Time outs? My list of questions goes on…So four years after the birth of my first child I’ve given up on being a perfect mother–I’ll happily settle for “good mother”.
Last week I finished reading The Last Lecture. Since then I’ve been reflecting again on the legacy I am leaving for my children. When it comes down to it, am I really teaching them the most essential of life’s lessons?
My ultimate wish for my children is that they will be happy, good people who treat others with kindness. I want them to know that they are children of a loving father in heaven.
Remember this song from the 80s?
Right now I have a prayer deep within my heart.
A prayer for each of you there is a special part
That you remember who you are and Him who lives above
Please seek for Him and live His way;
You’ll feel His love.
(Chorus)
Walk tall you’re a daughter, a child of God.
Be strong, please remember who you are.
Try to understand, you’re part of His great plan.
He’s closer than you know, reach up,
He’ll take your hand.
Our father held you in His arms so tender.
Those loving arms released you as He sent you down to earth.
He said, “My child, I love you,
don’t forget your great worth.”
(chorus)
I love to hear the four-year-old Ant Bug singing along. At some point I hope she will understand the lesson behind the words she is singing.
At times we lose our way, His path we may not see.
But please remember, always, please, that you are not alone.
He’ll take your hand, He loves you.
He will guide you home.
Try to understand, you’re part of His great plan.
He’s closer than you know, reach up,
He’ll take your hand.
Now I know why my own mother loved to hear me sing this song as a teenager. The important lesson she was teaching me is now the lesson that I am teaching to my children.
That song brings back a lot of YW memories…
What a blessing to sing that with your girls! I should teach it to mine. 🙂
How ironic. . . we’ve been practicing that song to sing at New Beginnings last week! It has been in my head too!