I've Been Thinking About Roles...

"I have a testimony

gained from pondering and studying the scriptures

of a plan of happiness given to us by our

Father in Heaven.

That plan has a part for His daughters.

We have the female half to take care of,

and if we don't do our part,

no one else is going to do it for us.

The half of our Father's plan that creates life,

that nurtures souls, that promotes growth,

that influences everything else was given to US.

We can't delegate it.

We can't pass it off to anyone.

It's ours.

We can refuse it.

We can deny it.

But it's still our part,

and we're accountable for it.

There will come a day

when we will all remember what we knew

before we were born.

We will remember that we fought in a great conflict

for this privilege.

How do we meet this responsibility?

We daily put our energies into the work

that is uniquely ours to do."

--Julie B. Beck

I LOVE this quote. It was part of the visiting teaching message this month. There were several quotes about the divine roles of women, but this was my favorite.

I've been giving this some thought the last couple of weeks. Yesterday when the GE repairman was here, about 1/2 way through his work, he made the comment kind of in the form of a question: "You really do cook, don't you?" Yes, yes I do. I asked him, why? He said that most repairs he does are from faulty parts, abuse, etc. Not that they get 'worn out' from honest cooking. He asked me what that was like to cook almost everyday. It was an interesting conversation. I got to share our views and perspective on family. Why mealtimes are important. He had not given that much thought before.

I've been thinking about when I was growing up. I've been thinking about my own kids. Learning, chores, practicing homemaking skills, housekeepers, take-out food, yard work, gardens, budgeting, needs before wants. Vision. As a mom, I want all my sons to marry women like the quote above. (So far, so good.)I want my daughters to be that woman. I hope for them to be able to balance homemaking skills and nurturing with having fun and being spontaneous. I want to be that woman. Today the world tells women that unless they are out in the world and/or going a million miles an hour that their worth is diminished. Not so.

Men and women's roles are divinely and distinctively different. We contribute differently but equally to the home, family, and society. The YW and YM programs are supposed to be different. Learning different, but equally balancing, perspectives and skills bringing them together during combined activities 'training and practicing' that balance. I'm thankful for the Lord's wisdom.