Raising Little Women (and Men!)

So those of you that know me well, know that I LOVE to read...really and truly, it is one of my very favoritest things in the whole wide world. I love books and my house is filled with lots of them now and I still have plenty that I left behind (sorry Mom and Dad). I am not really sure when this love affair with books began, but I know it has been there since I was quite young.

Short anecdote: When I was about 4 and my sister was 2, we were playing in our little playroom. I was an "organized player" and my sister not quite so much. Anyway, she dragged all of my wonderful books out onto the floor, but then moved on to play with something else. When my dad came up and saw the mess, he said in his loving but gruff papa bear voice, "You girls clean all this stuff up before you come down for lunch or I am going to throw it all in the trashcan." So, what does my sister do, she gets the trashcan and starts THROWING AWAY MY BEAUTIFUL BOOKS...sorry didn't mean to yell, but seriously, she started throwing them away. I, of course, went into hysterics over the loss, and my dad learned a very valuable lesson about my sister that day. She would rather throw it all away than clean it up! :) Thankfully she has grown up quite a bit since then...right Ames?

Well, unfortunately, my life these days doesn't make reading a very easy task. My days are just too busy. Some have suggested that I use books on tape...but no offense to those of you that love books on tapes, but they are very blaahhhh to me! I love the smell of books and the sound of the page turning and just how the letters look on the page and well, I just love my books, so as long as God grants me the gift of sight, I will choose my big ole' bulky books. Thankfully, I am a very good multi-tasker, so I have figured out how to squeeze short minutes of reading in during activities like loading the washer, cutting vegetables, curling my hair, nursing the baby, etc. I am sure there are a lot of other things I could also be doing during those moments, but I do so enjoy getting to go on all kinds of adventures and meet all kinds of friends while caught up in the pages of my latest read...or sometimes my latest reads as I have been known to be reading several books at a time.

My latest book is an old favorite, Little Women. I say it is an old favorite, but really I don't think I have really read the book in its entirety. I think when I was younger, it just wasn't quite exciting enough for me. However, as a Mama, I having been finding lots of little gems as of late buried in this classic. I love how God does that too. He uses something very normal and He uses it to teach us more about Him or about serving Him or loving Him or in my case, He has used it to show me areas that I can be a better Mama to my littles (and not so littles in the form of my teenage girls).

The next few excerpts are taken from my latest readings, and I think they quite speak for themselves. I do thank you all for your encouragement after my last post. Your words really helped, and I must say God has used this little book to help as well. I hope you are encouraged...

All of these excerpts are taken from Marmee (Mama March) talking to Jo (the second daughter) about how she is learning to overcome her sin of anger.

"Your father, Jo...helped and comforted me, and showed me that I must try to practise all the virtues I would have my little girls possess, for I was their example. I was easier to try for your sakes than for my own; a startled or surprised look from one of you, when I spoke sharply, rebuked me more than any words could have done; and the love, respect, and confidence of my children was the sweetest reward I could receive for my efforts to be the woman I would have them copy."

"If I don't seem to need help, it is because I have a better friend, even than father, to comfort and sustain me. My child, the troubles and temptations of your life are beginning, and may be many; but you can overcome and outlive them all if you learn to feel the strength and tenderness of your Heavenly Father as you do that of your earthly one. The more you love and trust Him, the nearer you feel to Him, and the less you will depend on human power and wisdom. His love and care never tire or change, can never be taken from you, but may become the source of life-long peace, happiness, and strength. Believe this heartily, and go to God with all your little cares, and hopes, and sins, and sorrows, as freely and confidingly as you come to your mother."