Perspective

This year, I made a goal to listen to a Conference talk each week day morning. To this point, I have been successful. Some mornings I am able to listen to a whole talk and other days I only make it through part of a talk. One of the talks that I listened to this week was one that I had listened to just a few days earlier in preparation to teach a young women lesson. I had decided to still listen to it as I was going in order of talks as presented in General Conference. The talk was titled Lamentations of Jeremiah: Beware of Bondage by Elder Quentin L. Cook. It was interesting as a part of the talk stood out to me in a different way than it probably does to most as my stage of life is different than others. This moment of life presented a different perspective. 
Elder Cook stated, "Of particular concern are philosophies that criticize or diminish respect for women who choose to make the sacrifices necessary to be mothers, teachers, nurturers, or friends to children." I feel that Elder Cook's original intent was that of motherhood. As I have yet to have this opportunity, this quote took on a different meaning for me as I applied to that of my career choice of teaching. It caused me to reflect on how hard the teaching field is as we are told from multiple sources how to do our job and are expected to do so much more than provide an education to children. There are many times that I feel this job is impossible. Sound familiar to my mother friends? So maybe it's no wonder that mothers are critiqued and disrespected for the job they enlist in as they raise the rising generation. I like to think that teachers have a similar role. I in no way am saying mothers and teachers are equal in the importance of their roles. Although there are times that teachers are asked to provide the role that mothers are not playing in some cases. Finally, I would like to say that this is just my perspective based on my current place and circumstances in life. It was interesting to become aware of how this particular time of listening to this talk brought a different perspective.