Patheos

BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Patheos

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Whole Mama

Grounded in Love

Last updated on: November 14, 2011 at 10:36 pm   by Amy Henry

Grounded in Love 2011-11-14T22:36:39-05:00 Amy Henry

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I love my young mama friends.  Those with babies and toddlers, those announcing new pregnancies on their Facebooks every eighteen months.

I love their enthusiasm, their love for their children, their determination to do what is best, no matter how hard it is, for the little ones under their maternal wings.

And how I remember those days.  When I woke up at the crack, made homemade oatmeal, mowed the grass before 7.

Ha!

They were busy, busy ones filled with diapers, training the beasts to come when I said come, force feeding peas, all that bathing.

But then one day I woke up and they weren’t so babyish and it was time to train them.  Here’s how we put away the silverware.  Here’s how we hang up a towel.  Here’s how we sort the clothes.

Then there was one brief moment I thought the hard work was done.  Everyone could hit the toilet.  Everyone brushed their own teeth.  Everyone could dress him or herself.

It was a brief, but beautiful moment:)

Because the next thing I knew, I realized that all that coming to Mommy, all that potty training, all that teaching to work didn’t mean a darn thing unless it was done in love.

As my friend, Kim, would say, if it was grounded in love.

Cuz everything’s worthless unless grounded in love.

Everything.

All the training and coming to Mommy and putting away the knives sharp side away from you.

All the getting up early, the oatmeal making, the lawn mowing.

All the bed making on Saturdays and the keeping them away from honey until the age of one and the natural shampoos and all the fresh veggies and all the vacuumed edges of the room and all the books and all the Bach and all the flossing.

Worthless.

Unless grounded in love.

Clanging cymbals.

Unless grounded in love.

Sounding gongs.

Unless grounded in love.

All that training, all that drill instructoring…did I work so hard on these I missed the whole point?

Possibly.

Probably.

Ground them in love.

I hope it’s not too late.

Uncategorized

Previous Post



February 21, 2014

Another Problem with Pain

Next Post



November 22, 2011 Thanksgiving Mags: I Don't Want Your Issues


Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 December 2011 November 2011


Follow Us!

Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter



TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I am a large sheet that came down from heaven, filled with animals both clean and unclean. I changed Peter's understanding forever. What am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A sign from God Peter's vision A heavenly message A dream

Related posts from Whole Mama

Family

Another Problem with Pain

Whole Mama

Family

What Children's Stories Say About Parenting

Whole Mama

Family

What Your Kids Really Want for Christmas

Whole Mama

Family

What Christmas is Really About

Whole Mama

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Family, Parenting and Religion

The Sermon on the Mount, Part I: Matthew...

The Sermon on the Mount, Part I (Matthew 4:12-5:12) St. Matthew moves...

What's up from Crossway

What's up from Crossway: Reviewing some of their latest A few weeks...

Janie Learns the Way of the Cross: A...

Teaching children about Jesus' Passion can be challenging. Many parents and educators...

Looking For Good Catholic Writing - October 2026

He alone extends the heavens, and he walks upon the waves of...

Luther on Tools

In "Irreplaceable," our book on vocation and technology, Trevor Sutton and I...

The British Museum-- Part Two

I was strolling through the top floor of the brand new Parthenon...

view all Family, Parenting and Religion blogs

Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube