Title: Mitten Strings for God
Author: Katrina Kenison
Publication Year: 2000
Website: www.katrinakenison.com
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Review: Honestly, I heard about this book and tried to read it years ago. I was probably in a stage of my life when one of my four kids was an infant. This book is about living at slow pace, avoiding business, and appreciate all of our precious moments with our children. How was I supposed to appreciate doing the dishes when I was so sleep deprived I was basically a living zombie?

The ideal this book presented felt so unattainable at that moment that, ironically, I couldn’t sit still long enough to learn about how to be still.

Now we are in the middle of a global pandemic and our family has nothing if not time. We have each other and we have to learn how to live together and appreciate all this unlimited time we get to spend together. In an optimal situation, we would do this without ever wanting to rip each other’s throats out. With 6 people social distancing in a confined space, this is not always easy.

And yet. For the first time, I REALLY hear what the author is saying. I appreciate these moments. I have time to sit and observe my children play. I have time to snap pictures of them creating fantasy worlds and giggling with each other. I can read one-on-one with my kids cuddled beneath a blanket. I can bake bread with them and prepare their food lovingly not having to rush off to soccer practice. I want to savor these moments. I will cherish them forever even as I feel them slipping away.

This book begins with a letter the author found written by a woman who passed away from cancer. The woman reminds us all to appreciate the “dailiness” of our lives. I am so thankful to the author of this book for really helping this lesson sink in while my kids are still young. I finally understand. I can wash the dishes and really hear the birds singing outside and my children laughing in the next room and I feel the contentment that I was born to feel.

Even though time feels like it is standing still in this moment in which our lives are all on pause, the author reminds me that it is still moving. My kids are getting older and changing every day. I can’t stop the progression of time, but I can learn to take the time to appreciate each moment of my day. I can only hope that I remember these lessons even after quarantine ends. (Personal Rating: 8/10)

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Review: If this book had just been a quick statement about each of her 10 tips (understand your value as a mother, maintain key friendships, value and practice faith, say no to competition, create a healthier relationship with money, make time for solitude, give and get love in healthy ways, find ways to simplify, let go of fear, and hope is a decision – so make it!), followed by the anecdotes she’s accumulated over her years as a pediatrician, mother, and friend, I think I would have really liked this book.

This is definitely a Christian book, but the author seems to focus on spirituality in general as opposed to pushing her own personal beliefs. The author is a very good storyteller and I liked all the personal accounts she used to illustrate her points. What I didn’t enjoy much was all the fluff that she used to back up each of her points.

The problem is that most of her habits don’t need explanation. She doesn’t need to convince people why they should (fill-in-the-blank). For the most part, everyone already knows that her ideas are good ideas, they just might need to be reminded of them, which I think she does quite well with her stories. I also didn’t really like the action plan type sections called “how to make the habit stick”, but I’ve never really been a fan of books that give me “how-to” instructions for raising my kids, so I don’t know why I’d like it anymore applied to myself.

Overall it wasn’t a book I got a lot out of, but again I did like some of the stories, such as the mother who refused to give up hope on her comatose daughter or the grown woman who lived a happy simple childhood never knowing her parents were multimillionaires. For the upbeat, positive stories alone, I recommend it. For making life-changes, not so much. (Personal Rating: 6/10)

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Review: I had seen newer versions of the book a few times in used bookstores and at my kid’s gymnastics class, so when I was able to get a copy basically free, I took it. It starts off in a way that makes me think it would be a good gift for any mother who feels like she’s struggling with motherhood or is unsure of her worth now that her primary responsibility is taking care of her kids. I like the writing style, agree with most of the authors’ assertions, and think they do a really good job at validating motherhood.

What surprised me was that with no real indication anywhere on the cover or first few pages of the book, it becomes a very Christion book several pages in. There are whole chapters that focus entirely on God and Bible passages. As a Catholic/Christian mother, I don’t have a problem reading a Christian mothering book, but I was a little disappointed to learn that what started out as a nice universally applicable book about the challenges of motherhood, was actually not the sort of thing I’d be comfortable handing out at baby showers unless I was really sure about the spiritual leanings of the recipient. I will likely be donating this book. However, there were a couple passages that I thought were worth saving. One was a classified ad for motherhood (pg. 31):

“SITUATIONS VACANT: HOUSEWIFE/MOTHER

Applications are invited for the position of manager to a lively team of four demanding individuals.

The successful applicant will be required to perform the following functions: companion, counselor, financial manager, buying officer, teacher, nurse, chef, nutritionist, decorator, cleaner, driver, child care supervisor, social secretary, and recreation officer. Applicants must have unlimited energy and a strong sense of responsibility. They must be independent, self-motivated and able to work in isolation without supervision, able to work under stress, and adaptable enough to handle new developments in the life of the team, including emergencies and crises. They must be able to communicate with people of all ages, including teachers, doctors, business people, dentists, teenagers and children. A good imagination, sensitivity, warmth, and an understanding of people is necessary as the successful applicant will also be responsible for the mental and emotional well-being of the team.

HOURS: All waking moments and a 24-hour shift when necessary.

BENEFITS: No guaranteed holidays, no sick leave or maternity leave. No workers’ compensation.

PAY: None. Allowances by arrangement from time to time with the income-earning member of the team. Successful applicant may be allowed/required to hold second job in addition to the one advertised here.”

Maybe it’s just because I have a cold and would rather read curled up on the couch than play with my preschooler at the moment, but I also thought this short poem was worth remembering.

“For life is short, the years rush past.
A little boy grows up so fast.
No longer is he at your side,
His precious secrets to confide.
The picture books are put away.
There are no more games to play.
No goodnight kiss, no prayers to hear—
That all belongs to yesteryear.
My hands once busy now lie still.
The days are long and hard to fill.
I wish I might go back and do
The little things you asked me to.

— Anonymous”
(Personal Rating: 7/10)

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