A Perspective on mothers and the value of art in the home

As Mother's Day came and went this year I had a new perspective on my motherhood and how it was formed by the mothers in my life. At first I thought only of my mom and how she gave me free access to art supplies, making a mess, and showing me what she had learned in her art classes. But, as the past few years came to my memory, I thought of my grandmothers who both passed away as they neared their 98th Birthdays. And my thoughts also travelled to my sweet mother-in-law in Sweden who left us too early 6 years ago. Then, it all came to me as I received the news that my dear "mother" in Finland whom I lived with for a year when I was 17 had passed away. Each of these mother's influence is present in my every day life as I raise, teach, and pray for the nine children that my husband and I have been blessed with. Each of these women taught me something about making a home and making things whether it be knitting, sewing, crocheting, cooking, gardening, reading or life. I find myself using their utensils in the kitchen, knitting on their old needles,reading their recipes,remembering how it felt to be taught by them as I sat with them. I even took out the "over cast" or bed spread that my Swedish mother-in-law fervently knitted on, with hope for more life, as she was dying from cancer. I plan to finish it.... someday. And I know that it will be obvious where she left off and Dana took up the stitches! Her work was like no other. Her fine stitches and even gauge I'll never be able to follow. She taught me how to read patterns in Swedish and I still do today! As I near the age of our children getting married, I love her so much more as I realize what she was thinking as her son left his home and moved 6000 miles away to start a new life. She never complained but always made beautiful things for our children: nine sets of embroidered sheets and pillow cases and always a new sweater or dress for each new baby!! She told me she was done making them after the first two kids! She showed her love from afar with her hands. My Finnish mother taught me how to knit-never even using a pattern! She was amazing as she also studied books and got her masters degree while being a headmaster at a school. She always baked great things to have with coffee, washed her rugs outside, and was involved in the community. As for my grandmothers I was so blessed to have them see my children grow up. Until they died we were always talking about what we were making ,what we were planting in the garden,and what we were cooking for dinner. As I think on all this and how I live my life, this really isn't amazing, it is just what women do. To me this is normal and I hope that I pass this normalcy along to my children. I know that with the lifespan of 75-98 years there are many great times and many great sorrows, yet, we still keep on making a new baby sweater, cooking dinner, reading good books, talking to our families, look forward to the next Holiday together. Nobody is a super mom. Moms are just great and I love motherhood and all that it brings.

As I close I think of the things I've made through my first 24 years as a mother, what I did as a child, and now what my children are making. As I showed my work in a weekend art fair this past Mother's Day my 11 year old daughter, Linnea, showed her work too. She sold just about as much as I did. It was delight to have her by my side. As I have been been sculpting, painting and knitting things all along while having nine and teaching them at home, each child has revealed their own gifts. These gifts seem to be a combination of the parent's and some unique ones of their own. I hope that as they grow they can enjoy their lives as parents and friends and people and still use their gifts to bless others and to glorify the One who made them.