I Am A Mother

My grandma loaned me this book and I am so grateful that she did. Chad was gone all of last week and I played single mom for 8 days. Needless to say it was difficult, especially since they were both sick and I wasn't able to take Archer to preschool. This book couldn't have come at a better time. I Am A Mother is written by Jane Clayson Johnson who was a former co-anchor of the "The Early Show." At the peak of her career she was married and she gave up an exciting career and a multi-million contract to stay at home with her children. Suddenly the things I sometimes feel I have given up don't seem as great of a sacrifice when compared to hers. Don't get me wrong, we all give up something when we become mothers, but the opportunity offered to Johnson may never come again in her lifetime. I, on the other hand, can go back to school and graduate whenever I want. Anyway, I like her because she isn't perfect. Johnson's first (temple) marriage ended in divorce and that fact really makes her more accessible and real. She speaks very candidly about her decision and how difficult it was to give up her exciting career. It is still something she struggles with, just as every mother does. Anyway, she really puts some meat on the cliched sayings like "Being a mother is the greatest thing in the world!" and "Motherhood is the highest calling." In this quick read (100-some-odd pages), I felt re-energized and more determined to do my best and give myself credit for the things I have accomplished today instead of focusing on the things that didn't get done. Here is a link to an excerpt of the book as well as a video of her talking about it.

Little Women

So this is the first book I have read in a (really, really, really) long time. I read this book when I was younger and really enjoyed it. I have somewhat of a history with Little Women as it was my grandmother's favorite book. She was in grade school during the great depression and grew up extremely poor and without her father around. She won a copy of Little Women in either a spelling bee or an essay contest, I can't recall at this moment. My grandmother loved this book so much she named my mom after the saintly character Beth. Anyway, as I said before, I read this book when I was younger and hadn't thought much of it since. I hosted our ward's book club and this is what I chose to read. I can't believe how much I enjoyed it and I felt as though I was reading it for the first time. Obviously I am in a different place in my life than when I first read it and the story really spoke to the wife, mother, and young woman in me. If you haven't read this book in awhile, or have never read it at all, I encourage you to do so and let me know what you think!