Mothers Doing the Best they Can

Minutes before Sacrament meeting started, I was asked to step in for the chorister unable to make it.  As I sat in the front, looking out into the sparse congregation due to COVID, I saw one person: a mother.  

A mother who had witnessed the first marriage of a child the night before. 

A mother allowing her two-year old to turn circles in the aisle. 

A mother handing off her baby to her mother-in-law so she could take her two-year old out for some reason or another. 

A mother sitting alone, most likely because her husband and children were home sick. 

A mother whose children have all since grown up, somewhere living their own lives. 

A mother who wrestles her children while her husband sits on the stand. 

A mother who arrives late with her family in tow, because it’s just been one of those mornings. 

A mother who sits between her two daughters, reverently sharing a moment of laughter and smiles together. 

I’ve had a thought running through my mind from an Instagram post I saw:  “Behind every great kid is a mom who is pretty sure she is messing everything up (Hank Smith).”   Sadly, it is true that we moms tend not to give ourselves enough praise for the efforts we make. 

As I truly saw each mother this morning, I thought, “She is doing her very best!”  Every mother, though differently, is muddling through each experience they encounter the very best they know how.  And it is beautiful!  Mothers are a strong force in the world, simply for showing up.