I Am My Mother's Daughter

I've been thinking a bit lately about the things I learned and inherited from my mom. My mom is a pretty remarkable woman. She can do just about anything. Some of her gifts and talents are: cooking & presenting food, gardening, flower arranging, sewing and quilting, decorating, throwing a great party/ putting on amazing activities, unwavering faith, stretching a dollar for as long as it takes, doing without, serving without thought of herself, making people feel comfortable and welcome, seeing the silver lining in the clouds, giving things to her kids (including the shirt off her back or the car she would use to get around), accepting service from others (missionaries, wonderful friends, home teachers), showing unconditional love. She can do anything that needs to be done. When I was growing up, she wrote us little notes at least once a week telling us how much we meant to her. Whenever there was a chore list, she added something about how much she loved us. She taught me about confidence and facing problems head on. About being responsible and not afraid to get out of my comfort zone. She taught me to be grateful for my gifts and cultivate them, to accept compliments graciously without down-playing my beauty or talent. She taught me to stand up for what I believe in and to trust my instincts and follow the Spirit. She taught me to Love my Father in Heaven, and His son Jesus Christ. She told me often of their love for me. She taught me to serve my brothers and sisters and always show love for them. She encouraged me to use kind words and not accept casual use of topics unbecoming of a daughter of God. Most importantly, she taught me that I was important, that I mattered, and that she was always supporting me, praying for me, and loving me (and through that I was able to understand that I could trust my Father in Heaven's love and concern as well). I knew she always would be, and never had to doubt her love for me, to do so was almost laughable. There was no denying that she would love me forever, whether I made good choices or bad ones. To me, the choice was simple; make good choices and life is better.


In many ways I am like my mom, but I am in no way a clone of her. Our personalities, though compatible, are very different. I like many of the things that she does, but not all of them. I wish I had some of her talents that I do not have, yet I appreciate the gifts we have each been given. I learned to love the kitchen, well maybe not the dishes, but cooking as a way to serve my family. Lately, I have found even greater satisfaction in cooking. I have loved to bake since I was young, but the more time I spend creating meals for my family, the more I love it. I love to find ways to make our meals more healthy and more delicious. I love the challenge of finding ways to incorporate new, healthier foods into our diet. I can hear my mom's praise, even when I don't tell her about my new creations. That is just one example of the many little things that came from my mom. When I am happy or sad, excited or frustrated, just thinking of her example helps me with my decisions about how to proceed. I hope that I can show the same kind of love and support to my children. I just need to figure out how she made it look so easy!

I love you mom!

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms out there! You are amazing!