Typical Motherhood

I recently was asked to read and review Leslie Ludy's latest book, The Set-Apart Woman (which I loved and highly recommend)!

Anyways, it made me remember how last year, I was asked to read and review her book, Set-Apart Motherhood. The last part of the email said, "I know that women would value hearing your perspective as a mother who is currently living these things out in your own life!"

When I received that email, I closed it and didn't want to think about it again.

It is so hard (especially around Mother's Day) to know that I would be a "typical mother," raising my little girl on Earth. I would be able to read a book like that and give my opinion, from my own experience with motherhood. I doubt there is a chapter about what motherhood looks like for me: decorating a grave, writing on a blog, speaking around the country, etc. Motherhood for me is not "typical."

Oh, how I wish I could give other young mothers tips on mothering. I wish I had memories and experience with things like breastfeeding, caring for a newborn, and a toddler, and all the other things that come with a child growing up. I would know about all these things by now, beyond my experience as a nanny. Instead, I only know and have experience with pregnancy and birth, and even that feels like it isn't "counted" by others.

I pray that one day, I will have the gift of experiencing the typical motherhood joys. For now, I will go on mothering Lily and Luke in the ways God has shown me how. And I will go on encouraging and loving on other mamas to babies in Heaven. Our roles as their mothers are no less valuable, important, or real.