The Moms in My Life

Thanks to all the moms I've had the privilege of knowing and watching. Of course my own mother is quite a mom and has set an example for me all my life about how to focus on my family and care for those around me. My mom taught me to make the perfect pie crust, go visiting teaching, and make up fun poems. She is a bread maker, a seamstress, an inventive cook, and a natural healer.

Then there is Esther. She is the mom I chose for myself when we moved into our first little house across the street from her. Her love has always inspired me, and I have always known there is at least one person on this earth who would welcome me with open arms no matter what. She adopted me and my family, listened to me, let my daughter practice piano at her home for years before we could get our own piano, and even paid for our car to be fixed one time. Esther is a talker, a cook, a gardener, and a loyal, loving friend.

Another mom I admire is Lucille. She is on a mission right now in New Zealand with her husband, and she still inspires me with her no nonsense advice, her faith, and her devotion to the Gospel. When I was consumed with sadness over my son's lost faith a few years ago she is the one who gave me hope and told me to concentrate on something I could do to keep hope alive - go to the temple and keep his name on the prayer roll. Today in Sacrament Meeting that same son stood and bore testimony of the restored Gospel and looked at me in the congregation as he thanked me for being his mother. Lucille helped me wait in faith instead of fear for that moment. Lucille is a cheerleader, a work-horse, and has always been a missionary for the Lord.

My step mom Pat has also been a great example and resource. When my dad married her in 1981 I was graduating high school and realizing there was a whole big world to try to understand. She has helped me do that more every year by offering me a wide perspective. The selfish part for me is the joy she has brought my dad as she has been his companion and taken such good care of him for so many years. We both have been blessed by her mothering.

There are many other women in my life who have lifted me, listened to me, and taught me how to be a better, more Christ-like woman. Thank-you to all of you.