Category Archives: Motherhood

More from the great Salt Lake…

So, while I was in Utah I managed to do several things. For starters, I moderated a panel on moms and social media. I know, I know, I am still laughing at the irony. However, it was such fun and extremely informative. The panel was made up of two “moms” who are working professionals, one a PR professional and the other who uses social media to promote her company. The other two panelists were “moms” who blog….also known as, “mommy bloggers.” I am not so much into that phrase, but they blog beautifully about life as they know it and were terrific representatives of this growing industry.

There were so many take aways from this panel that I am still processing all of the information. They talked about the most effective ways to promote your business, how to safeguard your children and their stories online, networking with other moms, marketing your blog, protecting your privacy, twitter vs. facebook…..the dialogue went on and on until they cut us off by letting us know the banquet crew was ready to set up the room for dinner! Yikes.

I so enjoyed meeting this mommy blogger, Courtney from C. Jane! What a neat lady and such fun to learn she knows my BFF, Ree from the blogosphere. It truly is a small world.

Right before the panel, I was sworn in as the President of this organization, so if I look a little frazzled….it’s because I was.

It is an awesome responsibility to lead a 76-year-old organization that honors and supports moms! What a great thing. And, I was really glad that the Senator could tag along for some moral support.

He’s good like that 🙂

SW

Influential Mothers

I thought it would be fun on Mother’s Day  to make a list of a few moms that had a profound influence on our country.  Women, whose very being shaped the way we live, or who left a legacy through their example that set a high standard for mothers today.  I came up with four moms who I think made a difference.  Who would you add to this list?

Mary, Mother of Jesus. I don’t think I need to explain why she is tops on my list.  And really they are in no special order.  I do particularly love this portrait by Fillipo Lippi (1440-45) though.  There are hundreds and hundreds of depictions of the Virgin Mary and this one just speaks to me.

Abigail Adams, early American renaissance woman and one of our nation’s Founding Mothers.  I even wrote about her in a speech once.  http://www.americanmothers.org/?q=node/61   She was an amazing wife and mother who picked her battles wisely and had a profound influence on many of our country’s Founding Fathers.
 
Anna Reeves Jarvis was a mother from West Virginia who lived during the Civil War. She thought that it would promote peace and harmony among families if we were to recognize and honor all mothers on the second Sunday in May.  Anna and her family pursued this idea for nearly sixty years until President Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday in May as a National Holiday honoring mothers.
Mother Teresa, the world’s mother really, and without ever having borne a child. Mother Teresa embodied the compassion, unconditional love and selflessness of motherhood and set an example for us all.
O.K., so those are four mothers who I think influenced our nation with their legacy.  Who would you add to this list?
Oh and Happy Mother’s Day!
Love, the Senator’s Wife

Raising a Generation of Great Americans

I wrote this opinion piece that was recently published in my local newspaper on Mother’s Day. However, it is patriotic in nature and I felt appropriate for my first official trump out into the blogosphere. Welcome to my world!

Raising a Generation of Great Americans
Or, as our newspaper called it-
Courageous Moms Look to Founding Mothers

Have you ever asked yourself what qualities make a great American? Is it the most popular child in class, the most athletic out on the field, or is it someone with courage who stood by their convictions and led their peers in a positive, yet necessary direction? I would suggest great Americans have an unconditional love for their country and knowledge of its history. In times of discontent, they seek solutions. In times of trouble, they offer hope and leadership. In times of peace, they offer innovation and encourage success. In fact, one might contend they lead us in a direction we may not want to go but need to be.

Our founding mothers managed to raise a generation befitting of this description and as a young mother today, I feel it is my duty as an American citizen to do the same.One must admire Abigail Adams, who raised four children alone on a farm while her husband traveled in service to the newly formed government of the United States. Abigail selflessly taught her children about the classics, culture, language and religion under the most extraordinary of circumstances. She taught them to respect life, love and the rights of others while instilling in them a passion for history and the world around them.

Our founding mothers also had their fair share of societal issues with which to contend. Not having the luxury of cell phones and email, women did not know the fate of loved ones for weeks, months or even years. Child birth was often experienced alone and was dangerous…not the much celebrated and relatively safe event of today. In early America, besieged by war and conflict on the home front, a mother’s fear for the safety and security of her family was overwhelming. I can’t imagine, as many did, sending my eleven year old son off to war.

Mothers of today should be concerned about the future of our country and the well being of its children We live in an America consumed by personal and commercial gain, an America where it is easier to blame others than to take personal responsibility in times of crisis. An America where technology opens many doors, but behind those doors lurk new and serious dangers.

The strong American mother of today must have an unconditional love of family. She serves others by volunteering at church, in the community or by working to support her family. Mothers, who ensure their children learn about history, culture, language and religion while personally setting examples of good citizenship and service. These same mothers recognize the inherent value of providing their children with a firm foundation in faith on which to stand. By modeling these principles, our founding mothers managed to raise a generation of great Americans. If we strive to follow in their footsteps, I am confident we can do the same.