I delight in mothering.

Earlier this week I had an interview--surprise surprise.  It is the story of my life as of late, but that is a story for another time.  Anyway, in this interview the interviewer asked if I had experience with infants.  I almost laughed, but I didn't. I responded that I had little to no experience with infants...and that's the truth.  Last night, I got to hold my dear friend Amanda's 5 week old baby boy.  I enjoyed it immensely, something that the rest of the frisbee team didn't seem to understand, but I didn't care...there's something miraculous about holding a baby...so new to this world and so small.  

I was thinking about an experience I had a while ago.  I was 18, in high school and new to attending relief society.  It was a welcome adventure given the fact that I was the only girl my age in my ward, and I was over the drama some of my younger friends in the young womens group.  In my church, when you turn 18 and then for the rest of forever, you belong to the relief soceity, the worlds largest womens society.  As a part of this group, you are asked to visit particular sisters within your congregation (or as we call it, your ward).  My visiting parter was my mom and we were assigned to a couple of sisters in our ward who had small families.  We had visited one for a while who was pregnant and when her baby finally arrived, we stopped by there soon after to drop off some dinner and see how baby and mom were doing.  This sweet sister invited us in immediately, to which my mom declined (because she didn't want our germs near a new baby) but this sister insisted.  She showed me where to wash my hands, sat me on her couch and handed her sweet 6 day old son to me.  She told me that holding a newborn is an experience every young woman needed.  

I've thought about what she told me from time to time, but for a long time I wasn't sure the experience had much of an impact on me.  Now...years later, I am beginning to see.  

With Mother's Day last week I've been thinking a lot this week about the important role of mothers and how it is something most all women are preparing for regardless of life circumstances.  As such, thoughts often cross my mind like--oh that is so important to teach kids or when I have kids, I'm not going to do that, you get the picture right?  So when I ran across this list, I knew I had to read it, think about it, save it, and remember it for a time when its content would be more applicable to my life.  As a kid I wanted all these things so much so I really think there is validity to it--that's why I'm sharing it with you. 

The Top Ten Things Kids Really Want Their Parents To Do With Them

1. Come into my bedroom at night, tuck me in and sing me a song. Also tell me stories about when you were little.
2. Give me hugs and kisses and sit and talk with me privately.
3. Spend quality time just with me, not with my brothers and sisters around.
4. Give me nutritious food so I can grow up healthy.
5. At dinner talk about what we could do together on the weekend.
6. At night talk to me about about anything; love, school, family etc.
7. Let me play outside a lot.
8. Cuddle under a blanket and watch our favorite TV show together.
9. Discipline me. It makes me feel like you care.
10. 10. Leave special messages in my desk or lunch bag.

The above text I found from Here.