Wednesday, April 28, 2010

A Mother's Role

Before I had my first child my sister's threw me a lovely baby shower. Part of it was a memory book full of thoughts/advice from all the guests. I was recently reading all of the wonderful words of wisdom and came across one that was so appropriate for how I was feeling at this time.

"To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets, labors, and holidays; to be Whitely within a certain area, providing toys, boots, cakes, and books; to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching morals, manners, theology, and hygiene; I can understand how this might exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it. How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? No, a woman's function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute." - G.K. Chesterton, "What's Wrong With the World" (emphasis is mine)

(this quote came from a childhood friend's mom. Her daughter and I have been close since we were in elementary school.)

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