My readership has expanded since I last gave a definition of the word svithe, so here it is again.
Svithe is a word my Thmazing brother-in-law created by combining the words seven and tithe. One day a week he blogs about something spiritual or religious. While I don't consistently write a weekly religious post, I have grown accustomed to labeling my religious posts svithes. Mainly because I think it's a cool word.
While I really wanted to write a svithe today on the role of women, it didn't quite happen. However, I want to do a pre-svithe on a similar subject.
Way back in April my sister posted a link on her blog to an article written by Jane Clayson Johnson titled "I am a mother."
To give a little background, Jane is LDS and was at one point a news anchor for CBS and ABC. She's given many interviews with people ranging from George Bush to Martha Stewart. At one point she turned down a high profile, lucrative job with a major network to be a stay at home mom. Through her experiences, she noticed mothers (and others) seemed to view motherhood somehow less of an occupation than paid employment. When asked what they do, stay at home mothers often respond with, "Oh, I'm just a mom." Or "I used to be such and such, but I'm just a mom now." Almost apologetically. She wrote a book titled, "I am a Mother" from which her article was derived that "calls on mothers everywhere to rethink their answers, to look inside themselves and discover the truth: none of us are just mothers." I've not actually read the book yet, but after reading the article, I think it would be a great read.
It is an article I think every woman and man (LDS or not) should read. Seriously. Read it.
She's a fabulous writer. You won't be disappointed.
5 comments:
Yeah, I found this article sometime over the summer, and I agree with you: it is fabulous. I think of it every time someone asks me what I do for a living and I (now proudly) tell them that I stay home and raise my baby boy. It's hard for people to understand my decision to stay home with him -- especially in a big city full of work-a-holics -- but I have to say it's one of the decisions in my life that I've been the happiest with.
I read this book this summer after having Elizabeth. IT WAS REALLY GOOD. It re-affirmed what I already knew about motherhood. When you are getting spit-up, poop, milk, and who knows what else on you everyday it is hard to remember that this work (being a mother) is THE GREATEST THING you will ever do in your lifetime. You should read it soon! :)
I have seen this a few times via our LDS bookclub, and actually at Moon's, and have been tempted to buy it, it looked really good. Glad to know it is, I may just have to buy it now!
It's true. Being a mother is the most important role we will ever have. Although at times I've felt like a glorified zoo keeper, I still believe that motherhood is the greatest work there is.
A glorified zoo keeper indeed! I like that Holly. But really, thanks for posting that article. It really was what I needed to hear today. Being a mom isn't always the most "fun" if you will but it does bring the most joy.
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