In Celebration of Motherhood

Leslie Means, founder of the 'Her View From Home' blog, talks about the community of motherhood and her new book

Leslie Means, founder of "Her View From Home" and author of a new book, "So God Made a Mother." Courtesy of Leslie Means

Leslie Means is a Nebraska-based mother of three who has been engaging the audience of her popular blog, “Her View From Home,” for years. There, she talks about things like motherhood, marriage, relationships, grief, and faith. I recently asked her about her new  book, “So God Made a Mother: Tender, Proud, Strong, Faithful, Known, Beautiful, Worthy, and Unforgettable—Just Like You.” Here’s what she said.

Leslie Means, founder of "Her View From Home" and author of a new book, "So God Made a Mother." Courtesy of Leslie Means

The Epoch Times: You’re a mom of three, you manage a successful blog and online community, you write a newspaper column, and you’ve now written a new book. I’m guessing the first question mothers reading this article are going to want answered is: How do you juggle it all?

Leslie Means: I don’t. That’s the secret—I don’t. Maybe some people make it look that way on social media, but I’ll call their bluff.

I wear many hats, but I’ve had a lot of support along the way. I often tell people: You can do anything with support.

I’m the founder of “Her View From Home” and my name is on our new book, “So God Made a Mother”—yes. But we have a team of women working behind the scenes. They believe in the mission and purpose of what we do. Their drive, honesty, and dedication to the brand (and to me) is admirable—especially in the early days when I had very little money to give them for their work.

They believed in me and the project—not very many people are that lucky.

I also know the support I have at home made all the difference.

My husband takes on a lot of the parenting load. In the early days, his steady job with good benefits supported all of us. I worked full time at my day job and came home at night to work on the website, and he stepped in to pick up what I couldn’t. Laundry, meals, paying bills, you name it—he was there.

Most importantly, he believed in me. He encouraged me to go after this dream to create a space for women to share their stories. “Her View From Home” and “So God Made a Mother” would not be successful today without him.

And lastly, our community where I live.

We started this business with no money. But what I did have was a media background and a few connections from my TV days. Before we launched the site, I walked into local businesses in our town, told them about my idea, and asked if they wanted to advertise on “Her View From Home.” To my shock, they did! It wasn’t much, but it was enough. I’m not sure they will ever know how much their support meant to me.

It looks like I juggle many things—but the only reason I’m able to do so is because I have a huge support system carrying me when I can’t carry myself.

The Epoch Times: What inspired you to write “So God Made a Mother: Tender, Proud, Strong, Faithful, Known, Beautiful, Worthy, and Unforgettable—Just Like You”?

Ms. Means: We’ve known for years we were going to write a book, but we were waiting for the right time and the right title. In April 2020, during a soak in the tub (where all the best ideas come), it hit me: “So God Made a Mother” is the perfect title for this book. We have similar titles on our website that resonate with millions of women—”God Gave Me Sons,” “God Made a Grandma,” “So God Made a Mother,” etc.—and we knew we needed to create a book with the same title.

In each chapter, the reader will relate with the vulnerable, brave, beautiful new stories written by “Her View From Home” writers and I. We used characteristics of mothers— tender, proud, strong, etc.—to divide each section, so no matter what chapter you’re in, you’ll see yourself in these stories.

We hope the readers gather with friends around kitchen tables, coffee shops, in carpool

lines—and talk about the stories on these pages and share their own stories as well.

The Epoch Times: What has surprised you most about motherhood?

Ms. Means: In my early years of motherhood, I immersed myself in work and raising kids. I was stubborn—convinced I could do this motherhood thing on my own.

Now, I have a teen, tween, and a kindergartner, and I’m more convinced than ever that I absolutely cannot do this by myself. I’m learning, the more we ask for help—the better it is. Letting down walls and letting people in isn’t something I’m good at—but I’m getting better. And that makes me a better mom, too.

The Epoch Times: You engage with so many mothers through your blog, “Her View From Home.” What have you found to be the biggest struggles moms face these days?

Ms. Means: We receive many essays about burnout, loneliness, and mental health struggles. But I think mothers are no longer afraid to talk about the hard stuff. These women are brave and vulnerable and, frankly, the pandemic opened our eyes to community and how much we need it.

The Epoch Times: What’s the best piece of mothering advice you’ve ever received?

Ms. Means: Gosh, the best advice? Great question. I don’t think it was ever an actual phrase, but more action.

I learned how to be a parent from my own parents. They worked hard and taught me to love others well, be kind, work for what you want, and never give up. I hope I’m doing the same for my kids.

The Epoch Times: What motivates you to continue the work you do?

Ms. Means: Oh, I love this question, thanks for asking. We always say “Her View From Home” and our book is bigger than us. There’s a greater purpose—more than we’ll ever know. It’s a livelihood for me, our staff, and the writers, sure—but it’s more than that. These women and their brave, vulnerable, beautiful, raw stories are changing lives around the globe. How cool is that?! That keeps me motivated. That gives me purpose.