Chérie Carter-Scott is a mother, author, and a motivational speaker. Her book, The Gift of Motherhood, honors the unique path that each of us experiences but also identifies ten common truths she believes we all share. These truths include “having a child changes your life, a mother has many roles, (and) as your child grows, so will you”.

According to Carter-Scott, once you become a mother, you enter into an eternal spiritual discipline. Unlike yoga or meditation, you do not set aside a specific amount of time for it – the practice is constant. Throughout motherhood there are peaks and valleys, lessons and accomplishments, stretching and growing.

The Gift of Motherhood speaks to me on many levels. It mimics many of the principles I’ve included in a life-coaching program to assist moms as they recreate and redefine themselves throughout motherhood. Tenets such as the importance of self-care, learning to adjust to the change in daily rhythms & identities, and the delicate balance between meeting the needs of our children and those of ourselves.

Carter-Scott addresses the dance of a woman through motherhood, and she focuses on mom’s role as a parent. She challenges her readers to be conscious parents and poses questions for consideration within each chapter. These queries ask the reader to think about the sort of mom she wants to be, the patterns she wants to help her children establish, and how she wants to handle conflicts in the home.

When reading The Gift of Motherhood for a second time, it tugged at my heartstrings. I had to exert my energy to suppress rising feelings of guilt. Don’t get me wrong – the book itself does not provoke feelings of guilt, nor is that Carter-Scott’s intention. Rather, it excites young mothers about the journey ahead of them. It inspires them to be conscious and discerning mothers, making choices about how they want to mother and how they will guide their children throughout life. It is a gentle book, an honest book, and a book of encouragement.

But, sometimes mothers get carried away with life and overcome with the mundane tasks of motherhood. Sometimes mothers are stretched thin by all their responsibilities and arrive at a point of less efficiency. Then, a mother – reading Chérie Carter-Scott’s book – can feel the guilt mounting as she realizes she has moved too far from her path. The tests of motherhood are more pronounced and feel less like a spiritual path and more like an exercise class, her children in need of a mom realigning herself with the values she defined for their family.

And, sometimes, mothers need reminders of who they want to be, how they want to live, and what choices support the values they want to guide their children with. That reminder is important and keeps us on track, and The Gift of Motherhood, is a gentle poke to return to our truths.

I love this book. It is a small hardback book with yellow daisies and springtime colors on the front. Chérie Carter-Scott accomplishes her task to share with mothers some universal truths about our most cherished position in life.

I came upon this book in a bookstore several years ago. I purchased it, read it, underlined in it, read it again, and – now – I share it with you. Enjoy!