The baby will not be here in time for Mother's Day this year, but I think I can safely claim the title of "Mother" for the first time ever, without feeling a little like an impostor. All the sacrifices I've made to keep the baby healthy during her gestation certainly qualify me for it, I think.
I think it's actually pretty cool that, at least in the wards I've been in, the Church recognizes that every woman is a mother and gives her a little treat at the end of the first hour. Those of us who haven't (yet) actively participated in that role by raising children are still honored, and appropriately so. Some women may think it cheapens the sacrifices active mothers make, but I really don't. Their quiver is full, and they have their blessings. I would never belittle the effort they put in every day to raise their children, but we are looking beyond every-day tasks, at the eternities, and I feel like there is a lot we don't know about what the eternal role of a mother is, outside of the (important) task of bearing and nurturing children.
Even so, when I think of eternity, I think of roles and responsibilities being innate and without time, so even when it isn't our "time", we still have the role, and all the blessings that go along with it are ours. It was only my insecurity that held me back from embracing the recognition—and the chocolate.
Is it easier now to understand some of the eternities, now that all the desires of my heart are in the midst of tangible fulfillment? Of course. But the only thing that has changed is my understanding. I always had the same value, and the same eternal potential. The thing that makes life so difficult is often that we, all of us, are limited in our ability to see the challenges and the pains we face as the temporary things they are. I hope this doesn't seem to trivialize anyone's painful circumstances. Whatever it is I've genuinely suffered in this life so far has had a definite expiration date, unlike a lot of people I know and care about, so I'm not the most qualified to write about it.
I remember a huge breakthrough I made one day in how I perceived my life. It hit me to my core that no matter what blessings I did or did not have in this life—and at the time my main concern was marriage and children—I would never once in the eternities look back on my mortal experience and feel like I had missed something or been cheated of any important experiences.
We are promised that if we keep God's commandments, all of the blessings of eternity will be ours, and it's true.
