"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 frequently conflicting demands of motherhood, partnership, work, and personal development. Writing from the experience of thirty-three years of marriage and raising four children, Almut Bockemühl is well qualified to understand the predicaments that women face and to offer empathy based on first-hand knowledge. Moreover, this book offers profound, spiritual direction for each woman seeking to meet the challenges of her unique biography. At the heart of the dilemma is family care and the need for individual expression in a creative capacity--self-discovery and achieving personal goals. The natural desire for children does not always mean a love of housework. Bockemühl studies such conflicts in women's biographies and reflects on the history of feminism. She also discusses the mythical roots of motherliness and matriarchy, as well as the mothering instinct itself, exploring the spiritual dimension and meaning of motherhood, the profession of homemaking, successful relationships, and clashes between personal life and career. The central theme of this enlightening handbook is an inspiring path of personal development for mothers and women everywhere.