A friend recently forwarded an email to me titled "The Invisible Mother," a short essay comparing the tireless and often thankless job of a mother to the builders of Europe's great cathedrals. Both give their whole lives for a work they will never see finished, both make sacrifices and expect no credit, and both are fueled in their passion by the faith that the eyes of God see every detail. The writer of the essay was inspired by the thought that our endless efforts in motherhood, invisible as they may seem, are worth it and can make an enriching life.
For many of us, the way we choose to hold our invisibility at bay is by creating something tangible. For me, my days often end with knitting - my love of fiber and the need to do something relaxing end up producing something I can hold and look at. Nobody will know how many times I swept under the high chair that day, or how many toys I picked up, or how many times I tried to coax a "please" or "more" or "sorry" out of my 5 year old. But a darling, handmade infant hat? That you can see.
I start new projects every day, and my 10 year old does the same. In this process of creating (and yes, often not finishing our projects!) we connect with each other and a bigger picture of ourselves in the process. My plan for this blog is to share the projects that excite me and bring some accessible proof of my existence in this invisible world of mothering!
So, this blog is dedicated to the mothers out there whose days are filled with the minutia of tasks that build our children and our families. I often tell people that I haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up. But for now, I am the builder of a great cathedral. With every shoelace tied, lunch packed, and forehead kissed, I build.
Awww, thanks Heather. :) You are my BFF, too, (along with a number of others). See, just like Rowan, I've gotta share/spread the love, you know?
ReplyDeleteMan, those are some precious hand-made Valentines - rough edges making them even more so, and the collecting box is charming!! Fun times, eh?
I put a few cards in the mail today and hope they make it by Monday. If not, you will FEEL my love from across the miles, card or not!
As for those Kleenex in a little pile on the back of the powder room toilet... I think it's only marginally gross. After all, even a box of Kleenex sitting there has some of the tissue exposed, so what the heck? Let it all hang out!