Keep These Things, Ponder Them in Your Heart: Reflections of a Mother
Miriam Huffman Rockness, Doubleday and Co., Inc., Garden City, New York, 1979, $7.95. Reviewed by Cherry B. Habenicht, Downers Grove, Illinois.
This book begins with "An Open Letter to My Mother," in which Miriam reflects on her own deeply satisfying childhood. The subsequent sections use aspects of homelife as titles: "Home—'A Safe Place,'" "Memory Building," "True Creativity," "The Shaping of Character," "The Family: A Greenhouse for Relationships," "Growth of a Soul," "A Room of My Own." Under each division are brief essays on a variety of subjects.
Miriam, 33, is a wife to Dave—a minister—and mother to three, but she also considers her own needs. Her everyday experiences are probably no different from most mothers, but her sensitive analysis and careful description bring wisdom to situations such as getting children to keep their rooms clean, dealing with pent-up kids on a rainy day, and finding time for daily Bible study.
There is humor, as in this description of 1 !/2-year-old Jonathan's repeated efforts to get her to leave the house for a walk. "'Mommeee,' he says patiently, as if to one slow of understanding. 'Mommy,' he continues in a tone that suggests 'you may not understand now but you'll appreciate this someday.' 'C'mon. Outside. Walk.'"
There is honesty in her lament over David, 7, the "out-of-bounds boy." "Your voice is too loud. Your reactions too quick. You run when you should walk. This home is not big enough to absorb your rough play. You have more energy than hours to expend it. High-spirited, you passionately live out each minute of your day. What do I do with you?"
And there is poignancy in her telling of 4-year-old Kimberly's fear before a preschool physical examination when she realizes the doctor will see her with her clothes off. "Her little face looks white and drawn. . . . She doesn't make a single movement. Her eyes are brimming with tears. Her lips are trembling. 'Mommy, if you were me, would you do it?'"
The essay "Life Stages" is worth the price of the book for any mother who feels that the world is passing her by. I especially ^enjoyed selections that describe family traditions and ideas for making each child feel special.
This is a book to be read in bits and pieces—an excellent choice for a nightstand or for the few moments in a mother's day when she can sit down and think about treasures to store in her heart.
Pastoral Care of the Handicapped
Roy E. Hartbauer, ed., Andrews University Press, Berrien Springs, Michigan 49104, 1983, $9.95, paper. Reviewed by Halvard B. Thomsen, pastor, Deer Park, California.
At a time when our nation recognizes the need for increased sensitivity to the handicapped, this book should help pastors become aware of the personhood, feelings, and needs of the handicapped people and their families. It should also enable pastors to increase their parishioners' sensitivity to the special needs of the handicapped.
Editor Hartbauer, though never ordained, has a pastor's heart of love, and his interest in the handicapped has been longstanding. In order to share that interest with practicing pas tors, he has selected several authors who, out of the depth of their own experience, can help pastors develop counseling skills for this specialized ministry. For instance, the chapter "Toward an Understanding of Parents With an Impaired Child" is written by the mother of an impaired child. This mother describes her own anguish, how she came to accept her child's impairment, and her growth in providing for his care. She then draws principles to assist in understanding and counseling parents with similar heart aches.
Pastors will gain valuable insights for dealing with the handicapped and their families who are a part of their congregation as well as those who are not. Each chapter includes a helpful bibliography.
In providing this anthology on pastoral care,; Hartbauer has made a special contribution to the caring pastor who is willing to extend his ministry beyond the "normal" parishioner to include persons who are often excluded because unfortunately they are labeled as not being normal.
Where Have All the Mothers Gone?
Brenda Hunter, Zondervan, 1982, 178 pages, $8.95.
The author, who was reared as a "latchkey child," dispels many popular myths about mothers. Written for mothers who must work outside of the home, as well as for those whose career is their home.
