“Enjoy Every Moment of Motherhood,” Says North Dakota State Mother of the Year
Contributed By Abby Jennings, Church News staff writer
Margaret Shaw, fourth from the left; her husband, Marvin, on her right; and their three children with their spouses and grandchildren.
Article Highlights
- Sister Shaw’s desire to be a mom came from her own mother.
- She is grateful she has had the gospel to guide her as a mom.
- She encourages all mothers to enjoy every minute with their children.
“Just enjoy the moment of motherhood and enjoy the trials. … Enjoy every moment with your children because they grow up fast.” —Margaret Shaw, North Dakota State Mother of the Year
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BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA
Growing up on a farm in Indianola, Utah, Margaret Shaw learned the value of hard work and the importance of family at an early age. American Mothers Inc. honored her earlier this year with the title of North Dakota State Mother of the Year.
Sister Shaw’s desire to be a mom came from her own mother. Her parents, Robert and Francis Tibbs, met in the Air Force during World War II. After marrying, they moved to their Utah farm and had four children; Sister Shaw is the second oldest. “She was just a great example to me of love and compassion and hard work. I never had any doubts that my mom loved me, and she taught me so much,” Sister Shaw said of her mother.
As a young adult, Sister Shaw moved to Salt Lake City to work at a bank and attend college classes. This is where she met her husband, Marvin. After being married for a few years, Brother Shaw accepted a job offer in Colorado. “We moved to Denver not knowing anybody; we just trusted in the Lord,” she said. “It was kind of scary to move away from Utah where our comfort was with the Church, but we decided we were going to do whatever we could to stay active in the Church.”
She calls their 26 years in Colorado “wonderful.” This is where they raised their three children, two boys and one girl. Sister Shaw is grateful she has had the gospel to guide her as a mom. “I can’t imagine being a mother without the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life,” she said. “We get through those hard times because of what we believe and because of our love of the gospel and our love of the Savior Jesus Christ. To know what He did for us, it makes us able to endure anything.”
Sister Shaw and her husband moved to North Dakota six years ago for a work opportunity. They enjoy being grandparents to seven grandchildren. “I love being a grandma,” she said. With their children and grandchildren living in Utah and Colorado, they are grateful to have a ward family close by. “We don’t have our children with us, but we have our ward family and that has just made all the difference in the world.”
She encourages all mothers to enjoy every minute with their children. “All of a sudden it’s going to be you and your husband in sacrament meeting all by yourselves and you’re going to think, ‘Wow, where did the time go?’ That’s the biggest thing, just enjoy the moment of motherhood and enjoy the trials. … Enjoy every moment with your children because they grow up fast,” she said. “Life isn’t perfect, but you can have your own perfect in your own home, and it might not be what the neighbors have, but it’s yours.”
