Title: Motherhood Realized: An inspiring anthology for the hardest job you’ll ever love
Author: Power of Moms
Basic Overview:
Power of Moms recently released their second book, Motherhood Realized, which follows their beautiful first anthology, Deliberate Motherhood. This new book is comprised of articles written by over 30 women, including notable authors such as Linda Eyre and Katrina Kenison. The book is divided into four sections that all mothers can relate to: “Becoming Our Best Selves,” “Getting through Hard Times,” “Shifting Our Perspectives,” and “Savoring Moments.” It is designed so that it can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. One person may choose to read it in “small sips” throughout the week, while others may want to read it all at once. I like the idea of reading one article a day, or reading one from each of the four sections throughout the week. Each article has a question and challenge at the end, which give the reader a chance to do some introspection and think of ways to apply what they have learned into their own mothering. The stories are real and down to earth from moms just like us. The authors themselves and their children span all ages and stages to make this a great resource for any mother. You will laugh, you will cry, and the hardest part will be deciding which article is your favorite.
Parts I Liked Best:
- I enjoyed that this book is easy to read. Parenting book can sometimes come off as stiff or dry when they share their message. However, in Motherhood Realized you get a peek into these mother’s lives and stories just as if you were sitting with them in person. The messages come across clear and strong and leave you feeling empowered and uplifted. Author Laura Fanucci shared a beautiful example when she said, “But whenever I find myself grumbling and grousing instead of giving thanks, I catch a glimpse of our vegetable garden through the kitchen window…the garden reminds me that I can count my blessings as a mom in the same way I pick beans. Sometimes one by one, sometimes by the handful. Always by surprise.” (pg. 161). Her message is simple and clear and the rest of her story is just as personable and relatable.
- This is the best of the best. Power of Moms has authors from all over the world submit articles and this book has gathered the best ones. The articles chosen were ones that really resonated with their readers. One example is the beautiful article “Your Children Want You!,” written by Power of Moms co-founder April Perry. When this article was posted it quickly went viral, as it’s message is one all moms can relate to. She says, “There’s this crazy phenomenon going on right now. Good, devoted mothers get on Pinterest (and blogs, and Facebook, and Twitter), and then they flip through parenting magazines and TV channels (full of advertisements and media hype), and they’re convinced they’re not enough.” (pg. 12) She goes on to say how children don’t care if we know how to do a certain hairstyle or make a certain recipe, they just want us!
- Motherhood Realized helps you “realize” motherhood. They describe this in the intro saying, “we will real-ize motherhood by talking about the very ‘real’ parts of it….But throughout that process, we’re also going to help each other realize motherhood by coming to understand why this unmatched powerful experience-which is often so great and sometimes so hard-means the world to us.” (intro) I love that the focus of the book is not on making motherhood sound like it’s always roses and sunshine (because it is hard!) but helps us put those experiences into perspective and focus on what an amazing journey the road of motherhood can be.
How This Book Made an Impact in My Life, Especially as a Mother:
The biggest impact I think this book makes is letting mothers know they are not alone! Even if you live in a remote area with no access to the Internet and no one living around you, this book will let you know that there are mothers throughout the world who are right there with you. We as mothers come from all different backgrounds and walks of life, but we can all unite in the cause of deliberate motherhood. None of us is perfect in our mothering, but through reading this book I have come to see the perfection in the imperfection and that being fabulously ordinary is wonderful. This is a book I will want to come back to again and again throughout this marathon of motherhood.
Volkswagen Campers says
What’s Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this
I’ve discovered It absolutely useful and it has helped me out
loads. I’m hoping to contribute & aid different users
like its helped me. Good job.