Lessons From Mom

1. Don't be afraid to work hard. Mom was superwoman. She cooked and cleaned and went to school and worked full time and held a calling in Church. I've never regretted the times that I've worked too hard or been too busy. I've only ever regretted the times that I didn't work hard enough.

2. You choose who you become. Mom has taught me that no matter what life hands you, you have the choice to decide who you will be. She lives a righteous life and works hard so she can be a good mother, a good wife, and fulfill her callings. My Mother did not have a convenient life, but she proved that in spite of life's hardships and trials it is possible to obey God- to raise good children and righteously provide for their needs both temporally and spiritually. My mom's wise and good choices brought forth blessings that will perpetuate generation upon generation and in the eternities.

3. Your most treasured legacy will be motherhood. More than anything in the world, I want to be a wife and mother. When the time for that comes, I can't wait for the fun, challenges, and excitement it will bring to my life. Being a mother is a heavy responsibility, but I can look forward to it because I had a good example.

4. The value of education. If someone asked me who taught me to read, I wouldn't say my teacher. I would say my mom. She really worked with us to get us to the point we needed to be. There was never a shortage of books in our house. She was a mom that showed up to parent-teacher conferences and participated in PTA. I didn't know how much that meant until I've become a teacher and have seen how many moms really don't do that. She led by example too and sacrificed to get herself through school.

5. So often when Mom liked a song, she would start singing along with it even if it was only the first time she's heard it. So figuratively she taught me that it's okay to sing along even if you don't know the words. Life is in many ways a guessing game. You try your best and fake it until you learn. You'll learn the words. And then a new song will come on....

6. Being friends with the most popular people isn't what makes you special. It's what you do for others and the people that have no acclaim that makes you special. I used to hate that mom wasn't friends with my friends' moms. I wanted us to fit into the "cool group." Mom was friends with the people that had no friends and maybe even no family. She loved the people that were hard to love. Why I couldn't see how significant that was when I was 16, I don't know. I see it now though and wish I could be a lot more like her.

7. You grow up to be your mother. I'll probably look just like her when I grow up. She looks just like her mom. I'm happy with that. She's beautiful.

8. Your mind is okay until you have kids. You remember where you put things. You don't forget important dates. Then kids come along (in my case 30 of someone else's kids) and all that goes out the door. You forget your friend's names, your family's birthdays, your address, your keys that you had in your hands 2 seconds before, the pen behind your ear, and a million other things. And that's okay because being a mom is worth your sanity.

9. You won't be able to do anything perfectly, but do it anyway. Mom gets things done. She doesn't wait for the perfect moment or when she is an expert as it. She doesn't sit for 3 hours to research something and never get to it. She just does it, and it works out, and it's done.

10. Your mom loves you most of all. I can't count how many times I've just wanted my mom. Even when we weren't close, when I was homesick, I just wanted her to hug me. When I'm really having a heartsick (like really), I need to talk to her. Nothing can take the place of a mom (even the most amazing dad).

Mom, I know you didn't always think I was always paying attention, which is true, but sometimes I was. I wanted to say thank you for the mom you've been and still being. Love you!