Ode to mentaltesserae - and mothers

FYI: I am currently working on a different blog entry to celebrate my mother, and that is why the essence of my incredible mother is missing in this post....
This post is born in the spirit of the one who inspired me to create a blog in the first place.

Today I taught Relief Society and I was able to choose any talk from this April's General Conference. I carry the responsibility of seeking out the needs of those I teach, and presenting the material to nurture those needs. I teach single female college students, and so I appropriately chose Elder Ballard's talk aimed at young mothers. Perfect. Really though, it was perfect. In studying the talk, I realized that the counsel he gave to young mothers applied equally well to single women of the same age. And so that is how I pitched the lesson. I felt completely guided in this lesson because these four points can be learned by single individuals, and enhance the quality of their lives. When it comes time to have a family, if that is one's desire, the tools will be available to create a more healthy and peaceful environment in which to raise children. I believe that God often gives us the opportunity to learn tools now that will prepare us for our futures.

He gives young mothers four pieces of counsel:

• First, recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction.


• Second, don’t overschedule yourselves or your children.


• Third, even as you try to cut out the extra commitments, sisters, find some time for yourself to cultivate your gifts and interests.


• Fourth, pray, study, and teach the gospel.

Can you see how perfectly these words also apply to female college students? Well, anyway, I do. And here is the fun part - here is the part when I can say thank you to Julie for inspiration. She incorporates parenting with art on her blog.... Not only that, I recently attended her classes where she discusses the following two pieces. These two images represent the essence of Elder Ballard's first piece of counsel. On the left is a very tired and discouraged mother, drawn by Kathe Kollwitz. Down below is a Cassatt.

When I was first asked to be a teacher, I was told to avoid bringing in outside material, and to stick to the lesson. But I was also asked to use my talents. This is what gives me anxiety: I have to reconcile two vague instructions capable of contradicting each other. Well, today I used my talents. I love art, I get it, and so I used it to communicate what words cannot. I asked my girls to look at the two works with the aim of understanding what real life as a mother is all about. I related the story of Kollwitz, losing her son Peter on his second day in the Great War. She was hit by depression, and created haunting images of mothers and children. Then I showed the Cassatt, which represents a tender moment where mother and child connect and transcend the hardships of life on earth. I used these two works to inspire class discussion, about how real life is full of hard times, and when moments of joy come, all sorrow is forgotten. I believe that if unmarried women can grasp this concept before they are mothers, they will fare better through the rough years of raising children.

For Elder Ballard' second point, I chose another painting by Cassatt, because it shows a young girl - tired after being overscheduled and never having time to play in play clothes. She has to have etiquette classes, piano lessons, harp lessons, voice lessons, and more. (Thank you Katie, another amazing mother, this is more or less her interpretation of the work.)

At the risk of creating a post that no one ever gets to the bottom of, that is it folks. I had a ball teaching today, I even feel a little more like being a mother some day, believe it baby. And I love love love Elder Ballard's talk. Pick up your toys children.