"...I’ve learned to sacrifice my own needs for another person."

Mary one of those people that is always thinking of others and how she can serve them.  In fact when I got to her house she was babysitting two kids spur of the moment.  She is also so dedicated to her children, always thinking of how she can teach them and serve them.  She is a great example.  

BRITTANY: Describe one way motherhood is different than you expected it to be. How is the reality better? Not easier...just better.

MARY: Before I became a mother, I had never had to put my own priorities and needs (going to the bathroom, showering, eating, etc.) behind another person. All of a sudden, these tiny humans’ desires came before my own very basic ones. It’s interesting to think how I’ve changed as I’ve learned to sacrifice my own needs for another person. This sacrifice has given me increased capacity to love me children much more deeply. And so through my changing, my experiences of motherhood have been more rewarding and more full of joy.

BRITTANY: What is something that brings you joy in your motherhood?

MARY: Sidewalk chalk, playing “family” (yes, even if I have to be the grandma), cooking with my kids, watching their sense of confidence grow as they work hard to achieve something, picnics, forgetting about schedules for a day and just letting the kids decide, quiet snuggles (even in the middle of the night), hearing them speak in a British accent, watching them learn.

BRITTANY: What is the number one thing you hope your children learn before they are grown? Why is that important to you?

MARY: If I could give one thing to my children, it would be a personal relationship with Heavenly Father. I hope that they know who they are, and how much He loves them. There are so many other things that I can spend my time teaching them, but if they don’t know that fundamental truth, they will ultimately be lost.

BRITTANY: What is one of the hardest aspects about motherhood for you right now?

MARY: Setting my expectations low enough that I don’t care about peripheral things (the house, the extracurricular activities) more than the essential things (loving, teaching, being present to give my attention). This is a constant struggle but when I can achieve it, I am so much happier and so are the kids.

BRITTANY: What are 3 of your strengths? Why do you love these things about yourself?

MARY: This question was really hard for me, so I asked my husband. This is what he said: 

1. You do the right thing, even if it is hard.
2. You think of others’ needs.
3. You really know how to pick a husband.

Just kidding. 
3. You can love people better (not what it sounds like; instead of teaching someone to be better, forcing someone to be better, or just waiting for someone to be better, you love them until they’re better).

I love that he said those things, because I feel like those are all things that I’m always trying to work on. Partly, it’s that I really want my kids to learn how to see others’ needs before their own, and learn how to do what’s right. I also want them to pick a great husband.