Mothering: An Art of the Heart

Cassidy Van Slyke Blenke reviews a collection of wisdom from nine mothers who, between them, have raised 43 children to adulthood.

Mothering, An Art of The Heart by nine moms with forty-three children is a collection of short stories reflecting their motherhood journeys from the empty nest. Authors include Diane Knittle, Suzanne Shady, Jo Ann Figueiredo, Sheila Roney, Patricia Bertucci, Patricia Urban, Mary Dahl-Maher, Patricia Costigan, and Elizabeth O’Toole.

Mothering_Image

This heartwarming book includes eight chapters based on the author’s “Mother Wisdom,” which represents the art of mothering, broken down into the following categories: Joy, Nurturing, Socialization, Values, Traditions, Faith, Humor and Creativity, and Wisdom. Throughout the book, the authors include relevant quotes, poems, excerpts, and illustrations to accompany your reading as you easily move from chapter to chapter.

null

As a mother of four young littles, I'm in the wild thick of parenthood. I sincerely appreciate the first-hand accounts of these fellow faithful mothers who guided the way before me. Each author shares their special and unique experience as a mother, from the early years to the later years, embracing life’s sometimes small but impactful moments that remind us how lucky we are to walk this rewarding path together. These stories are presented in an easy-to-read manner, leaving us with a takeaway from another mother's shared journey.

One of my favorite quotes from the book featured in the Traditions chapter:

Traditions come in all sizes and shapes. They can be as common as a bedtime story, as memorable as a family trip, or as simple as making a practice of saying, “I love you.” Traditions are formed as birthdays are celebrated, religious milestones are marked and as family members come together for holiday events. In these and all the varied moments of a shared life, from the simple to profound, traditions strengthen and celebrate a family’s life together. (Page 134)

The women in these pages convey their stories in such a way that provides gentle encouragement to those mothers like me, still navigating the days consumed with the messy moments of managing small children. After one hectic and exhausting day, I decided to read a few pages from this book, where I knew I would find heartfelt messages and reassurance that I was doing a great job despite feeling defeated at the end of the day.

These wonderfully shared short stories of motherhood remind us to go back to the basics of inviting God into our lives and loving our children while guiding them toward His light. My most important takeaway from Mothering, An Art of The Heart was the genuine feeling of a warm hug from all these other mothers who so lovingly and honestly shared their years of wisdom and great joy for creating and nurturing a family amidst life’s struggles, defeats, and happy moments. I highly recommend this book, which is perfect for picking up at any time for mothers of all ages who truly believe that motherhood is one of the most humbling gifts from God.

Mothering: An Art of the Heart is available on Amazon.com.

null