Where it all began...

Seeing as how its Mother's Day tomorrow I thought I would give some space to my own mom. This is her almost 32 years ago. She's just as beautiful now. I love this picture because she's holding me with such a look of peace on her face (its a validation that it was a good thing I was born :) She has that same peace that comes from her incredible testimony. I wanted to highlight some things that I learned about motherhood from her.

1. Its the most important calling on earth. My mom never acted like there was anywhere else she'd rather be. I don't mean the I'm-desperate-for-break-before-I-go-completely-insane kind of ratherness. She had those days sure. But I always knew that she WANTED to be home with us. She performed her role with such dignity and respect. She knew the value of choosing to be a mother. I learned the eternal nature of motherhood from her.

2. Motherhood is not easy. In fact, many days it downright sucks. I really respect my mom for having bad days, and surviving them. Many of my memories of mom are the ones when she had a bad day. I know that she had breakdowns and that she struggled, and when I'm in the middle of one of those days I remember her, and her strength and how she picked herself up again and she grew and changed and loved and cried and laughed and ENDURED. I can think about her and I can get up again.

3. There is more to life than motherhood. One of my favorite things about my mom is that she reads at stoplights. She wasn't "just a mom." She was (and still is) an avid reader, a dental hygienist, and a myriad of church callings. She spent her free time, not being lazy or down. She worked hard at a lot of things. I remember the chair she upholstered and the sound of the piano. She had a lot of talents and she worked at them.

4. Education is a really important part of motherhood, and life. My mom is always learning something. Most of the time she's teaching too. She teaches seminary, she has taught preschool and she taught us. We are a teaching family. Its in our blood, but she was a good example of it too.

5. Unconditional Love. This is the last on my list and maybe the greatest. When I threw every dirty, horrible thing at her, she loved me. When I swore and ran away, and cried and suffered, she loved me. She walked with me through the most difficult times in my life. She NEVER, NEVER walked away. To this day I cannot think of this without nearly weeping at the impact that love has had on my ability to be a mother, to be a wife, to be a Person. I could not have survived puberty (or the entire rest of my life) without her love and friendship.

So now, as she prepares to be an empty nester, I hope she knows the power she still has in our lives as our mom. All seven of us look to her for advice, comfort, praise. We all call her when we are down, or when we have something to share. I am also realizing how much I love to listen and to offer my friendship in return. One of the great blessings of my adulthood is that my mom has become one of my best friends. Thanks mom, for sticking around and being a light in my life.