“I’m so glad I’m this exhausted and that my days are filled with dirty diapers and crying babies,” said no mom ever.
“I just wish being a mom wasn’t so hard / tiring / frustrating / difficult…,” said every single mother I know. (And if you haven’t said it out loud, you’ve probably whispered it deep into your pillow late at night when everyone else is asleep except for you.)
But what if someone told you that You Are Not Alone?
Would it change your day? Would it change how you mother?
What if you knew to the very core of your being that What You Are Doing Every Single Day Matters?
Would it transform your actions? Your reactions?
Would it shift and revolutionize your priorities as a parent?
As busy mamas that sometimes (or 89.9 % of the time) feel overwhelmed, overtired, and overworked, we need to know that what we are doing is making a difference. That the value of staying up late nursing little ones, the correcting, the listening, the wiping of tears, the cleaning of bottoms … is all totally worth it.
And that remaining 10.1 % of the time? (And feel free to adjust these percentages if you need.) Well, that’s when everything seems right in our world. Those moments when we feel we’re about to burst with heart-oozing love for our people. Until a vase shatters, juice spills, and the dog vomits on our brand new entryway rug.
We need to hear from those who’ve made it through the trenches of motherhood, and lived to tell about it. And we need the voices of those in the trenches right now. Stories of beauty in the midst of the bedlam to pull us through the hard times, giving us the gift of humor and hope for the journey.
And so it is with great pleasure that we introduce you to The Mother Letters – a beautiful, encouraging, compelling (and downright gorgeous) collection of letters just for moms.
As contributor Christy Brockman put it so eloquently,
We as mothers are different, but we all share a common bond. We are a community of women. The fight is not against each other. It is greater than that. So instead of judging each other’s practices, we should stand in support of one another… And when we see a struggling mother, one who flounders in her role as “mother,” let us not be afraid to offer a prayer, a hug, or a kind word. After all, we could all use the encouragement, and our children will be better for the example. (The Mother Letters, pages 27-28)
And we couldn’t agree more. So in honor of this heartfelt book’s release into the world, we are thrilled to share the mother love with you. (Thank you, Baker Publishing Group!!)
With Mother’s Day right around the corner, maybe this is a book you’d like to read for yourself. Or maybe you have a friend who desperately needs to hear these words of anchored hope. Perfect timing for a giveaway, don’t you think?
Or if you’re impatient like me and just have to have it right now, you can find it at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, ChristianBook.com, Lifeway, FamilyChristian.com, or at your favorite local bookseller.
To enter the drawing:
Simply tell us One Thing You Wish You Could Tell Your Young Mom Self (if you could go back in time). Comment with your answer here in the post (or over on Facebook), then register using the Rafflecopter box below to have your entry counted! We can’t wait to read all of your responses. We will announce the winner on Friday, May 6th, 2016. Let the nuggets of motherly wisdom begin!
If you’re reading this post in your email and want to enter, click here to view this post on the blog.
We’re cheering for you, sweet mamas! xo
P.S. – And in case you missed it, here’s the mother letter I wrote in March called For Every Mom. It’s from the heart, and just for you.
To join in the Mother Letter fun on Instagram, use #MotherLetters and share your mothering moments.
And thank you, Amber and Seth, for putting together this insightful literary hug for all of us moms! It is much needed and much appreciated!!!