the journal

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity for me to think about my mom and all she’s done for me! I know every one thinks their mom is the best, and rightfully so. But my mom was the best for me. And here’s why.

~ 1 ~ She let me make my own mistakes. I’m the youngest of 6 kids and I think by the time I came around, my parents were pretty relaxed with parenting. They did have rules and I was expected to follow them, but for the most part, they let me make my own decisions. I remember one time in Jr. High, I think, I wanted to go somewhere overnight on a Sunday. We are LDS which means we keep the sabbath day holy. I can’t even remember what it was for, but I remember that I wanted to go SO bad but knew I probably shouldn’t because it wouldn’t allow me to keep the sabbath day holy. I asked my mom anyways and I will never forget her answer. She said ‘It’s up to you’. And that’s IT! She didn’t say anything else and I kept asking for her opinion but she wouldn’t give it to me. I ultimately decided not to go, but I’m glad that she had the strength to let me make that decision on my own.

~ 2 ~ She has shown me what patience is. My mother is the most patient woman I know. But I don’t think she was always that way. Her and I have very similar personalities and we both like things to be done in order. Now, I’m sure having 6 kids, things were chaotic all the time. Like I said, I’m the youngest and my closest sibling is 5 years older than me, so by the time I could remember what was going on, most of my siblings were grown up already. But my mom was and still is always patient with me. She’s helped me recover from health issues and has stood by me as long as I needed her. I remember when I was in the hospital with Guillian-Barre Syndrome when I was 12. I was feeling so weak and tired and I’m sure I hadn’t showered for days. My mom suggested washing my face would help me feel better, but I couldn’t do myself. So, she did. And I’ll never forget how the warm wash cloth felt on my face. She took her time and made sure that it helped me to feel better.

~ 3 ~ She’s taught me that family is most important. Every single night we had dinner at 6:00 on the dot as a family while I was growing up. Sometimes I hated it and sometimes I really wanted to go hang out with my friends instead, but I’m so grateful that she made sure I knew that was an important time for us to connect as a family. Now that I have my own family, I see her wisdom. I want my kids to be close to me and be able to tell me anything and I know that if I strive to make dinner and have it at a certain time every day, together, it will strengthen our relationships.

~ 4 ~ She’s shown me that love is stronger than anything else. Last September, my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. That’s a long time to be married by today’s standards. But I am so grateful for their dedication and love. Before I got married, I thought it would be easy, like a fairytale, but boy was I wrong. Marriage takes hard work, sacrifice, compromise, continuing courtship, patience and a lot more! My parents are an amazing example of all of those things. Their marriage makes me want to strive for a long marriage with my husband, for a forever marriage. For a marriage that goes beyond this life. I’m so grateful to have that example in my life. So, thank you mom. I love you!