Reaching for the Stars

Do you ever have so many dreams and expectations that “just being a mom” doesn’t seem quite good enough? I know, I know, being a mom is the most important thing a woman can do; it’s a noble and righteous calling. But what about Joan of Arc, Madam Curie, Helen Keller or Eleanor Roosevelt? I’ve always wanted to be more. They say the sky is the limit, so naturally I want the stars.

When people ask “What will you be when you grow up?” I used to answer, a dancer, a soccer player, etc. Now I answer an architect or a pediatrician. I want to work for the CIA or the FBI. I’m going to be a world known ambassador who has the gift of tongues and can help solve problems with her vast knowledge. I want to be wise and smart, but playful and fun. I want to go beyond the limits - set new expectations. I want to invent a cure for cancer, patch the whole in the ozone layer, talk to dolphins and discover the mysteries of the rain forest. Then, I’ll be the first woman on Mars and invent the rocket that gets us there. I’ll work at NASA. I’ll be in the government - first woman president. Then I’ll go perform on Broadway. I’ll help the orphans in Africa and then...then I’ll learn to fly, fly with the birds, fly with the wind...on my own power.

If the sky is the limit...I want the stars.

I will be quoted like President Hinckley. I’ll stand up for my country just like Joan of Arc. I’ll score the winning goal at the World Cup finals. I will do great. I will be great. And when I’ve done all that, there will be only one thing greater...to be a God. And the only way to do that, will be to follow Heavenly Fathers plan, which means...I will be a mom. I guess He must know best - He is a God. So I won’t just be a mom, I’ll be a heavenly mother in training.

So all this time, when I’ve thought about reaching for the stars, well, now the plan, is to be the one who creates those stars.

…

Wish I could take credit for this. It was actually written by a 15-year-old (Erin Maxwell, whose mother spoke at a BYU Women’s Conference class I attended a few years ago)! Incredible! I think about it often when motherhood occasionally becomes something less than what I think it should be. I thought it appropriate to share today.

Happy Mother’s Day!