Chapter Area Happenings

These are pictures of the American Mothers/ Mesa Oaks resident's first humanitarian workshop for the month of June in Covina, California.  The flannel blankets that we are making for distressed, preemie and babies from struggling families are so.......cute!  We bought some new and slightly used onsies and sleepers and washed and ironed them.  Then we put the three items in a gallon size Ziploc baggie with a note enclosed saying "Lovingly made by the American Mothers and the Mesa Oaks residents".  

We had such a blast.  The neighbors were so grateful that someone who knew what she was doing could organize these workshops for them.  They expressed that they always wanted to do something humanitarian, but didn't know how to go about doing it.  We worked the scheduled 1 1/2 hours but no one wanted to leave.  We ended up working 3 hours.  Some of us will be going on a field trip to the Los Angeles County Hospital where these packets will be donated to.  Next week is our 2nd workshop.  The board of directors for our neighborhood are now talking about donating to humanitarian efforts on an annual basis.  I think that when we put forth the effort to organize things that people will do what ever they can to support it.  There are a lot of good people in the world. 

Thoughts on Motherhood

Showing Respect

I have never been so touched by a display of respect I observed while driving on the freeway one day. Several motorcycle police had stopped all oncoming traffic on the freeway.  I wondered if there had been an accident as fire engines were lined up on the overpass just ahead.  Firemen were standing at attention on top of their trucks. A large American flag had been lifted in the air by a huge crane.  Continuing on I soon noticed additional fire engines on the next upcoming overpass and then the next overpass as well.  How touched I was when I saw on the empty freeway a caravan of fire engines escorting a white hearse followed by the funeral party with their lights on.  I assumed it was the body of the fallen fireman who had lost his life in recent, devastating fires who was now being honored as he traveled home towards his final resting place.  I was in awe of the respect and honor shown to one of their own who had made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of others.  I was humbled by the reverence and respect displayed by police and fire personnel providing an open freeway while standing reverently at attention as he passed. 

What does this have to do with motherhood you may be asking? It has everything to do with motherhood.  Someone taught these men while they were young… respect for others, work ethics, to be service oriented, to go the extra mile, to not be afraid and to put others above self.  These police and firemen who serve us all had mothers who taught their sons and daughters these attributes. I pondered how no child would ever be emotionally scarred or burdened by being told frequently how great he/she is or how much he/she is loved or how much he/she could affect the world for good. 

When such a tragedy happens it makes us stop and think about what is most important in life.  As for me I came home and called my children and told them how much I loved them and how wonderful it is to be their mother.  Life is just too short to show anything but love, respect and concern for all those around us.  Our homes should be a place where reverence abounds, service is taught, gratitude is expressed and respect for others is the norm.  In witnessing truly happy homes I find family members grateful for what they have and desiring to help others with whom they come in contact.  A genuine respect for others is shown and shared.

Another great example of a different kind of respect happened the other night when we attended a dinner. At our table sat a Catholic priest, three Rabbis, three Muslims!  This made for interesting dinner conversation topics!  What did we have in common?  The answer is simple… a genuine respect for each other, respect for differing beliefs and a willingness to talk and listen, void of judgment.  What a wonderful night we shared together as we laughed, compared, conversed and discovered our similarities.  We enjoyed each other for who we are rather than who we thought each other should be! 

Respect for others is in short supply, causing contentions and disagreements. We can make a difference, maybe not in the big wide world but in the world that we have control over… our homes and our communities. It is in our homes where the basic attitudes of life and character are taught. "Good homes are still the best source of good humans." Neal A. Maxwell. 

Contributed by Bev  California, Mother  of the Year 2012

Mom To Mom - Table Talk

I am a busy mother of four children (ranging from 5 weeks old to 9 years old). Between homeschooling, Girl Scouts, running club, church activities, keeping up with the multiple loads of laundry, and making sure I feed my family I don't have much time for myself. 

I came to the realization that it is important for mothers to take care of themselves. As mothers, we are so devoted to our children and all of the activities that they have going on that we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves! It is important to take a little bit of time to pamper ourselves, or just recharge our mom-batteries! I often beat myself up over taking a few minutes to apply makeup or do my hair. 

My mom-brain says its selfish to take that time away from my children or I don't really NEED to do my hair, there are a million other things that need to be done. But the reality is; I feel better when I take a few minutes of me time, I interact better with my kids, and they never even notice that I'm doing something for myself! I painted my nails. It may not be a full makeover, but it reminds me that I am important!

Stephanie California Young Mother of the Year 2013

Thoughts on Motherhood

“From the beginning of time, the generous sacrifice of motherhood has contributed strength to children...  This quality is appreciated by all nations which honor the spirit of human love, so wonderfully expressed in the concept of family...I can think of no finer representatives than the outstanding women selected by the American Mothers Committee.”

                                    President Dwight D. Eisenhower

                                    In a letter to the American Mothers Committee, 1959

Celebrating National AMI History

Celebrating our History!

On July 13, 1950, five women filed incorporation papers with the state of New York for the American Mothers Committee, organized in 1933 under JC Penny's Golden Rule Foundation, to become a completely independent non-profit organization. The purpose of the organization was to publicize and promote the observance of Mother's Day throughout the world and to issue awards to outstanding mothers.  It was also to study and formulate plans to assist mothers and their families and to take all steps necessary to conduct programs to assist them where needed. 

Today, we celebrate 63 years as an independent non-profit working passionately to honor, educate and serve mothers nationally and across the globe.

Article in the Deseret News, Utah

Stephanie McKnight... California Young Mother of the Year 2013

Stephanie Williams McKnight, named by American Mothers, Inc. as the California Young Mother of the Year, followed the promptings of the Spirit to lay the foundation for her family before she had even found the gospel.

She obtained special permission from the dean of California State University-San Bernardino to take up to 26 credit hours per semester while working as well. "It was a very busy time, but I knew that I was doing it for a reason," McKnight said of her college years. "Looking back, I see that it was a total prompting from the Spirit to get me in the right place at the right time."

She joined the church when she was 21. She had always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom because of her mother's example of commitment to motherhood.

Her final year of college was a busy one — at age 22 she finished her master's degree and married Mitch McKnight. She also became a mother to her husband's two daughters from his first marriage.

At age 25, McKnight is the youngest Young Mother of the Year for 2013. She lives in the small town of Ramona in rural California with her husband, two daughters, two sons, a dog, some chickens and a covey of quail. Her dream of being a mother has now come true, although she never realized it would include farm animals.

"I don't know how this happened," she said with a laugh.

Taking care of the animals is a family affair, and the quail and eggs are considered part of the family's food storage. McKnight is already signed up to teach a class on quail-raising for the school 4-H club when her daughter joins next year.

McKnight continues to use her teaching degrees. She recently began home schooling her daughters. She says this was an inspired decision that has also allowed her to keep teaching, which she enjoys.

She keeps her active, growing family on track by focusing on Christ. She gave one example of teaching her children about kindness by using examples from the scriptures.

"I don't want to just tell them, 'No, it's not right to be unkind,'" she said. "I also want to tell them why from a biblical perspective."

Drawing on companionship from her Relief Society sisters in the Ramona Oaks Ward, especially the examples of her visiting teachers, has helped guide McKnight as a mother. She joined the church less than four years ago but this support along with her love for her family and the Savior make up for any lack of church experience. She tries to visit the women in her ward regularly, cultivating those friendships that will strengthen them both.

"I hope my children remember that I always tried to be an example for them of living a Christ-centered life," she said.

Working to first gain the trust of her two daughters and then add her sons into the family was not easy. However, McKnight began working hard to lay the foundation for her family years before she knew them. "The whole LDS perspective on raising children is that it isn't something that ends," she said. "This is a process that is going to keep us together for eternity."