I am teaching a lesson in church tomorrow and the title is something like "Bringing Children Up in Truth and Light". And it got me thinking about my own mom and the influence she has had on my life.
My mom taught me to love reading. She didn't neglect any of her work as a mom to read like I do sometimes, but I always knew that she loved to read, and from the first Nancy Drew book that she passed on to me, I was hooked.
She taught me about fulfilling callings. I remember when I was little, she was the Laurel advisor (leader for girls 16-18), and she created these elaborate handouts. Two in particular stand out. I remember these violins she cut out of paper and then strung them. Crazy time consuming. And the other (which I loved most) was when she made individual mini loaves of bread for each girl. Man, I hoped she would have some left over. There is nothing better than my mom's homemade bread.
She taught me about faith. I somehow always knew that my mom had a testimony of the Gospel and the Savior. When we were little, we weren't always perfect about the prayers and scriptures, but she never hesitated to share her testimony and her commitment to what is right.
She taught me about discipline. When she was struggling to get control of her eating habits, she decided to eliminate dessert/candy from her diet, just until it was under control... 20+ years later, she is still going strong. She has also always been diligent about exercising.
There is so much more to the sphere of influence that she is and has been on my life. She has now become an important influence on my own children. Sometimes Bryson will call her and ask her to take him to lunch, and she will spend the entire time sharing her thoughts and encouraging him to be the best kid he can be. I so appreciate this! At this point, I will take all the help I can get raising these kids.
It's ridiculously late, and I feel bad that this post is somewhat rambling and incoherent, but I just wanted to take a minute and tell my mom thanks. For everything. If I can manage to be half the mom you have been to me, my kids will be incredibly blessed. There simply are not enough words to express how much I love and appreciate you.
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Mom
xoxo