Recently in our church, we looked at a picture captioned Busy Mommy. The mother is standing at a stove, cooking and holding her child on her hip. A telephone is wedged between the mother’s shoulder and her ear, and the child is trying to grab the phone. At the same time, her other child is standing behind her, watching her. The mother in the picture seemed to be stressed because she was overwhelmed with so much work, but she did her very best by multitasking.
Some brothers and sisters said that the mother looked somewhat under pressure and to be in need of some help, but as a mom myself, I saw it differently. In my mind, I captioned the picture, Mommy Heaven.
From my perspective, the child in her arms was capable and old enough to stand on her own two feet, but I think the mother wanted to hold her baby. Though it seemed the child was trying to disrupt the phone call, maybe the child wanted to hold the phone for her mother so she could focus on cooking. Why? Because she was mommy’s big girl who wants to help her out. The child standing behind her mother seemed to be asking her mother if she could help. Why? Because she saw how much work her mother was doing.
There’s a saying that reads, “Without my kids, tomorrow wouldn’t be worth the wait, and yesterday wouldn’t be worth remembering.” A child’s little quirks, needs, and impositions may seem to cause mothers much trouble, but it’s not the case. Caring for a child is a mother’s delight and is the purpose of her being. A child comforts his mother with an indescribable joy and love. The loving relationship between a mother and her child is unconditional. Therefore, a child is never a burden to his mother, no matter what the circumstances are, or how old the child may be, the joy a mother sees in her child never diminishes.
Then I remembered what I experienced when one of my sons left for college. It’s called Empty Nest Syndrome, which is the feeling of grief and loneliness parents may feel when their children leave home, such as to live on their own or to attend college or university. If we can experience such emotional disconnect and painful separation in this physical world, then how much more is our Heavenly Mother affected by Her numerous children who had been lost from heaven for a long time? I am so sorry to Mother for being so insensitive to Her plight and pain.
I give thanks to God for uncovering my eyes through maternal love so that I may recognize Heavenly Mother’s love and sacrifice. I will become a mature child who can carry some of Mother’s load by guiding our lost brothers and sisters to Zion.