Get To Heaven. Bring Your Brother.

Well, I said that I'd have a few reflections on the Mother's Day of Reflection I attended on Saturday. So, I'm going to try to remember all of the really good parts of Danielle Bean's talk. (Since it was a day of relaxation and reflection for me, I didn't take any notes...though in retrospect, it might have been easier to write about had I taken some!)

She had eight different ways to be a happier mother. My favorite tip was "Do what you're doing". In other words, focus only on the task at hand, even something simple like tying a shoelace...we shouldn't be distracted mothers...the tasks that make up our life are important, even the small menial ones.

Another great point was "Focus on long-term goals", and honestly, because I am such a goal setter (to a fault) I didn't really get this one until she mentioned a banner hanging at one of her friend's homes that reads GTH BYB, which of course stands for (as my title stole) Get to heaven. Bring your brother. Our long term goal should be getting ourselves and our family to heaven. We should not worry about what we don't accomplish in a day, as long as we are moving closer to God, we are doing exactly what we should be doing.

I don't remember the words Danielle Bean used for this one, but the gist of it is that we should not underestimate ourselves. We should not allow motherhood to be an excuse not to do things. We should not be a "slacker mom" who allows herself to NOT do things because motherhood is so overwhelming. For instance, many times people may tell us that it is okay not to have a prayer life because we have small children, but that underestimates our abilities...and we should not allow ourselves to use excuses like that.

Of course, we also should "be less busy." We should be home more, and more focused on our vocation as wives and mothers. Since there are different seasons in a woman's life, there are different tasks that fit with each season. What you did before you had kids may not be feasible with small children.

Another key that I don't remember her wording for, was not focusing on material things, and she pointed out that this includes appearances. We should take care of our bodies, of course, but we should not focus on beautifying ourselves to live up to the worldly standards we see in the media.

Okay, so getting 5 of the first 7 isn't too bad! Her final point was the one she most wanted us to remember: PRAYER!

We should always work prayer into our day. Prayer does not need to be separate from our day. We can pray for each member of the family as we fold their clothes. We can pray in thanksgiving as we prepare meals for all of the abundances in our lives. She strongly encourages a morning offering...giving your whole day to God in advance.

I have a long way to go in some of these areas, but they were all good things for me to hear. The other speakers also had some great things to say, as well. (Though I have to admit, I missed a chunk of Father's talk because I was in confession!) The final speakers were a married couple who have been married for a large number of years...their presentation was on "Love is a choice". It was a good reminder that although I may not always "feel" love for my husband, I can make the choice to love him and serve him every day.