I Love Being a Mom: Treasured Stories, Memories and Milestones [Hardcover]

Therese J. Borchard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 2004

Therese J. Borchard, the coeditor of I Like Being [insert trademark] Married, returns with another enchanting exploration of the love, laughter, tears, and uncertainties that bind one human being to another. Including more than 100 photographs of famous (and not-so-famous) moms and their children and drawings, I Love Being a Mom is about the common bonds all mothers share and the intimate experiences that make each mother-child relationship unique. In stories, recollections, and witty observations from Sarah Jessica Parker and Katie Couric to Barbara Bush, mothers of all stripes describe how their lives were forever changed by the arrival of a child. They recount the ecstasy and exhaustion of the early days of parenthood, the miracles and milestones that mark a child’s--and a mother’s—growth, and the lessons in life that are part of being a mother. Louise Erdrich writes about childbirth, the quintessential “labor of love”; Cokie Roberts, about balancing life at home and the office; Alex Witchell, about the trials and joys of being a stepmother; and Barbara Bush, about the death of her little girl. Contributions from Alice Walker, Marie Osmond, Debra Winger, Shirley Maclaine, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and other well-known women, and from moms across America, illuminate the myriad ways mothers nurture, protect, and celebrate their children, and illustrate why each writer loves being a mom. Top-ten lists highlight the best movies, novels, songs, and TV sitcoms about mothers and provide an entertaining, sometimes surprising look at our culture’s assumptions, perceptions, and ideals.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Never mind the missed school buses, the nasty cases of chicken pox and the miserable teenage years. The contributors to this perky volume find happiness in motherhood, and they relate their stories of watching their children lose their teeth and go off to college with gusto. Writer Anne Lamott remarks of her three-month-old son: "He's becoming so grown-up before my very eyes. It's so painful. I want him to stay this age forever." Ida Eisenhower explains why she likes being a mother to a boy: "Boys are the best investments in the world. They pay the biggest dividends." Although uneven, there are some nuggets here, especially the pieces by Anna Quindlen (on catching lightning bugs), Louise Erdrich (on "rocking, breathing, groaning, mouthing circles of distress, laughing, whistling, pounding, wavering, digging, pulling, pushing" through labor) and Jana Riess (on the "ten best books about motherhood that have spoken to me in a deep and memorable way"). Photos, illus. (On sale Apr. 13)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"I Love Being a Mom will be a gift and an encouragement to mothers everywhere."
--Marian Wright Edelman, president, Children's Defense Fund

“Like a wise conductor, Therese Borchard blends the voices of many women into a harmonious and satisfying whole. As we listen to these voices, however, we begin to sense something behind them, a power greater even than the eloquence of words: ten thousand acts of loving service, ten thousand moments of passion and strength, tens of thousands of women whose love shakes and shapes every new generation.”

--Debra Rienstra, author of Great With Child: On Becoming a Mother



“So many toys to pick up, soccer games to cheer on, goodnight kisses to bestow...and so little time to reflect on the meaning of it all. What a treat to open I Love Being a Mom and find that someone has put into words the value and joy of being a mother. Whether you're renowned to the world or just your family, if you answer to "Mom" you'll find good company-- and have lots in common.”

--Kate Kelly, managing editor, American Baby magazine

 
“After thirty years of reading just about every parenting book out there, I didn’t think I was capable of being as surprised and moved as I was by Borchard’s book. It reminded me of why I love being a mom and left me, as motherhood has, smiling with tears in my eyes.”
 
--Wendy Schuman, former executive editor, Parents magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday (April 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385507895
• ISBN-13: 978-0385507899
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,580,121 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely perfect gift for new moms or any mom!, April 18, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: I Love Being a Mom: Treasured Stories, Memories and Milestones (Hardcover)

What a perfect mother's day or new baby gift! There wasn't a page of this book that didn't make me laugh, cry, or nod in recognition of the joy, distress, and suprises you experience every day as a mom. I intend to buy a copy for all my friends who are having babies, and anyone who relishes being called Mom!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved being a reader of this book!, August 4, 2004

By 

M. Ferro - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Love Being a Mom: Treasured Stories, Memories and Milestones (Hardcover)

The beautiful writing from some of our best women writers would have been reason enough to read this book. But what I appreciated was not just the writing. It was the collective wisdom and the collective joy, the great personal stories about moms and kids. Motherhood is not sugarcoated here, but the truth is it shouldn't have to be. What's wonderful about being a mom are all the highs and lows added together, which is one reason why the anthology was a good idea in the first place. All of us moms have our unique perspective, yet when you put it all together we have a common understanding and, I hope, a bond. Thank you to the author for a book I will read again.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just for Mother's Day, May 5, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: I Love Being a Mom: Treasured Stories, Memories and Milestones (Hardcover)

A great book for reading any time!!! Every mother (and child) may be different but all mothers (and children) have so much in common. This book proves it. Thanks!