The Power of Moms

Most of these people didn't attend the group - but it is one of the only pictures I have of friends and every post needs a picture right?

I just got home from a fabulous new group called the Power of Moms. I wrote and wrote and wrote all the things I learned and felt uplifted by there, but I decided that post was too personal to publish and too long and boring for anyone but myself to read. So I will just give a short plug for the group www.powerofmoms.com for those of you who want to look into it.

Basically a group of moms get together each month, read an essay, and discuss it. Kind of like a book group. I LOVED IT! and feel so blessed to know, and get to know such amazing women. There were so many different perspectives that were shared, so many different life experiences. We laughed and cried. I just came home feeling so much more ready to be a good Mom and supported by others who had imperfections just like me.

My favorite thoughts included but were not limited to: (The topic was Dealing with the Hard Stuff - we mostly talked about increasing our patience since most of us have little ones: but we would love someone with older kids to join in if anyone is interested- but we also discussed how teach them all that we want them to know in these impressionable years )

- Everyone throws stuff/yells sometimes - I can't tell you how much better that made me feel after watching my friends for years and never having seen them lose it with their kids - I personally like to yell into a pillow

-Think outside yourself - your problems may seem large right now - but others have it worse or just different - and also to empathize with others even if their problems seem insignificant to you. I was especially touched by the perspective of those who have had difficulty having children.

-Tons of strategies were shared on increasing patience and being positive

-telling yourself you will have 10 times more patience than you think you should:)

-remembering a special moment with a child when you knew it was all worth it

- getting really quiet instead of yelling

-explaining to your children why you can't play just then

-planning time to do fun activities with your kids

-establishing good habits to teach them both secularly and religiously

I just feel so happy right now, and so ready to love my kids. It was just a good reminder to the question, "Why am I a Mom?" This post isn't as profound as some of the thoughts that people have, but hopefully it will help me, as I'm sure to forget this feeling around 7:30 tomorrow morning:)

One more thing - I love the title of the group - especially the word power. I think too often we feel annoyed etc and blame it on circumstances, I have long been fascinated by the idea of all the power that we have within us to be who we want to be (that is the most amazing gift of free agency, to choose who we are, and to know that we are that way because we choose it) - not so good at using that power, but I truly know that it's there:)