'A woman who wishes simultaneously to find herself as an individual and to devote herself to motherhood, is caught between two extremes that are hard to reconcile: how to integrate motherhood with one's deepest, personal aims?' Women today face the challenge of integrating the often conflicting demands of motherhood, partnership, work and personal development. Writing from the experience of 33 years' of marriage and raising four children, Almut Bockem hl is in a good position to understand the predicaments woman face, and to offer empathy based on knowledge. But this book also gives a profound, spiritual orientation for all woman seeking to meet the challenges of their biography. At the heart of the dilemma she addresses is the care for family and the need to express oneself in a creative capacity: finding oneself and achieving personal goals. A natural desire for children does not necessarily mean a love of housework! Bockem hl studies these conflicting tendencies in the biographies of women and reflects on the history of the women's movement. She discusses the mythical roots of motherliness and matriarchy and the mothering instinct itself, exploring the spiritual dimension and meaning of motherhood, the profession of homemaking, successful relationships and the clashes between life and work. But the central theme of this enlightening handbook is an inspiring path of personal development for mothers and women everywhere.