This Old House
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“Lector, Si monumentum requiris circumspice.”
“Reader, If you seek my monument, look around you.”
Sir Christopher Wren was an English architect, astronomer, mathematician, and physicist. Wren is known for his contributions to the reconstruction and rebuilding of 52 churches in the City of London after the Great fire in 1666, but he is most highly acclaimed for his masterpiece, St. Paul’s Cathedral, which was completed in 1710.
The quote above is his epitaph – the message he had to leave to the world.
What message do you have to leave to the world? What legacy are you building, brick by brick? What is the cornerstone of the building you work on day by day, hour by hour?
Now, I’m not sure about you, fellow mama, but after a long day of mothering, I sure don’t feel like I have much to offer to the world of architecture, astronomy, math or physics, let alone do I feel that I’ve made progress on a masterpiece. After homework battles, toddler translating and making sure we get to ballet class on time, I’m just trying to remember if we have broccoli in the freezer to add to tonight’s pasta dish.
But know this, dear sister, no matter what today looked like – You are building a masterpiece. You are the mortar-maker, the stone cutter and the mason. From the foundation to the stained glass windows and flying buttresses – you are creating something magnificent.
Whether you kissed a booboo or lost your cool over the shoe you just tripped on, your Cathedral is in the making, and it looks quite beautiful.
Your masterpiece will be unique, different than the cathedrals built by everyone else, but every bit as beautiful. You are creating a legacy that is far more valuable than your clean floors or empty counters.
Your masterpiece is just getting started, the plans are written and the years of labor lie ahead.
Your masterpiece is a reflection of the beauty only you can share with the world. The “imperfections” you fret about only enhance it’s craftsmanship and bring beauty to the ground on which your kids have been planted to grow.
Liesl and her husband are raising their 6 kids in their house close to the Chesapeake Bay. She and her husband, Matt, serve their local parish as Director of Music and High School Youth Minister respectively. Liesl has worked as a music educator for the last 15 years and finds great satisfaction in writing about the joys and challenges of motherhood. Follow her on social media @sacramom.
