The Toll of Motherhood...

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I wanted to post this video and I couldn't help but comedically tie this swoon into the amount of work she must put in with her kids. Here's an interview of Marie Osmond by Larry King:

Why so many children? Why, since you adopted -- why?

M. OSMOND: You're fascinated with this.

KING: Why? Why?

M. OSMOND: Why not? I don't know.

KING: I mean, if you can have your own children, why also adopt children?

M. OSMOND: You know what, all I can say is that I asked my mother, I said, when did you know you were done? She says, "you'll know." So I had baby number five, I'm thinking, am I done? Baby number six, please, am I done?

KING: Who told you you were done?

M. OSMOND: I knew.

KING: Or are you done?

M. OSMOND: I knew. I just knew. It was fabulous.

KING: Are you done?

M. OSMOND: I am done. Are you happy about that, Larry?

KING: It just -- it fascinates me because it's so hard...

M. OSMOND: You know, it's a really interesting topic.

KING: Raising children is not easy.

M. OSMOND: Well, that's one of the things, is I think that, you know, the fact is, is I think a lot of times people think Marie Osmond, naive, goody-goody, you know, whatever. But having eight children, I'm interested. It's like we talk about everything from the statistic on depression. It's like 25 percent of the people have it now in the nation. If you have it, it's like three times more of a chance your child will have it. We talk about signs to see. We talk about all kinds of things. Raising children. We have experts on. Cutting parties. This is craziness that kids are in so much internal pain now that they go and slice themselves.

KING: So, the obvious becomes, again, why would you want more if it's that hard?

M. OSMOND: You know what, God has blessed me that I can raise them. And...

KING: Obviously.

M. OSMOND: And that I'm passionate. I came from a family of nine, it's not that big of a deal to have eight. But I love them, and they teach me. I don't teach them anything.

My mother shares with me how my own grandmother mothered eight children and didn't always feel well. I'm actually in the middle of a book on Susanna Wesley. Every pregnancy laid her on her back(and she gave birth to more than a dozen children). People assume that in order to be a great Mom and have lots of kids you have to be in tip-top condition and have more energy than all the other mothers on the block. It's just not true. Mothering goes beyond our American view of the woman who can "do it all". Mothering does not imply that you have to do it all. Bringing their own personalities, inadequacies, and faults to their tables, mothers simply have to be whole heartedly committed to doing their best and making their children a priority. And no, mothering does not always come naturally easy to everyone, but that's not the point. Easy is never part of the criteria for anything worth doing well.

Women have done it for years. They have raised wonderful people while working three jobs, without a wonderful education, or through sickness and disease.

Be encouraged. If you feel less than adequate or that you have some "thorn in the flesh" that would keep you from being the greatest mother ever alive, TAKE HEART. No, motherhood is not for punks, but it can be done by the less than perfect. We are all less than perfect. If you know Christ, you can rest assured...

Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

and that...

Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.