The Mom I Want to Be in '23

Laura Range shares how she traded New Year’s resolutions this year for a motherhood mission statement.

Did you make New Year's resolutions this year? Are you like me, and the thought of the fresh slate of a new year fills you with excitement and motivation? Or are you also like me, and New Year's Day came and went with your only goal being to survive the craziness of life (we ushered in the holiday with influenza spreading through our family of six)?

Yet the beautiful thing about God is that no matter what your feelings are on making New Year resolutions or what day of the year it is, He is always ready to offer a fresh start and the grace to become who He has called us to be.

One way I'm leaning into that this year is by composing a motherhood mission statement. I've realized the practical goals can be useful in this vocation, but the most important thing is for my heart to be in the right place—and let me tell you, many days it is not! So I prayerfully chose three areas I need to grow in to better serve my family and create a loving atmosphere in our home, then I wrote them into a statement that I can keep above my kitchen sink to remind me of my spiritual goals—and His grace to work towards them—in the daily vocation of motherhood. Here it is:

I, Laura, the mama bear of the Range household, desire to cultivate our home with warmth, joy, holiness, and peace by prioritizing prayer—alone and with my family, choosing joy over negative thoughts, and being present to those around me and to God's will in the moment.

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Why did I choose these three areas?

Prioritizing prayer

Romans 12:12 says "Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer." Though I pray daily, it's so easy to lack perseverance and persistence in making it a hallmark and habit of our day. Rather than just "fitting it in," I want my children to realize the value of prayer in permeating our day, not only by creating space for morning, evening, and mealtime prayers, but also teaching them to call on Jesus and His saints in all the little events of the day.

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Choosing joy

As much as I hate to admit it, I often choose to let negative thoughts eat away at my peace throughout the day. Sometimes this is by comparing my life to other moms' lives. Sometimes it's by allowing worry or fear to take hold. Sometimes it's selfish, grumpy thoughts about the never-ending laundry and dishes my family generates. And we all know "when mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Yet I can choose to say no to those negative thoughts simply by refusing to dwell on them and instead by filling my mind with truth, just as St. Paul says in his Letter to the Philippians:

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

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Being present

We live in a digital age that praises multi-tasking, yet this can be so detrimental to our children! I plan to keep my phone "tethered" in the kitchen so that I'm not tempted to be looking at a screen instead of the four little faces God has given me. And even though I love a clean house, I know these years of engaging my children's minds and hearts are fleeting as well as the time to enjoy them and make memories! I tend to be more task-oriented, yet my goal is to be open to the moment and what God might be asking in it, even if it looks different than my own desires.

Click to tweet:
God is always ready to offer a fresh start and the grace to become who He has called us to be. #catholicmom

Have you ever made a motherhood mission statement? What might the Lord call you to include in yours? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

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