My 'Mother Teresa'

It's a well-known fact that I adore my mother. If I 'grow up' to be an inkling of what she is and accomplish half the things that she has, I will be sitting well with myself & more importantly, my children and the Lord. She is affectionately referred to as 'Mother Teresa' much of the time. She is amazingly talented, patient, kind, caring, and the most giving person I know...sometimes to a fault, if that's possible.

Growing up, I remember she always worked hard to increase her knowledge and used her talents and skills to work when she had to. I remember being so frustrated that every summer when the six of us kids wanted to swim at the neighbors or go to the beach we had to wait for her to first get her sewing done. We didn't understand it...we were the 'NOW' generation. I SO get that now and think I could still learn a lesson or two....or ten from her. I know it killed her because she wanted to be constantly 'doing' things with us. I see now that she had great balance and still managed to get everything in and please most everyone. She's always been a big people pleaser. She's also the most proficient home-maker I know. She used to make all my clothes, sew all the model garments for a major fabric store, sew aprons, bathing suits, and do crafts for large catalogs, she was a mini-contractor in our home knocking out walls, laying tile, painting, landscaping..she baked her own bread, did her own canning and dehydrated her fruit, attended the temple regularly, did all the laundry, taxied us everywhere, we had regular sit-down meals, and she magnified her church callings...actually, she magnified all her 'callings', church-related or not. And the list goes on and on.

She's always been an amazing example to me of service. She used to do things for those that physically couldn't help themselves, serve weekly in the temple, make meals for others in need, take care of others' children, even took in a few kids that needed a stable home for a period of time, used her physical talents to serve others, and was always a friend to those in need...and she did these things humbly and quietly.

As a teenager she was the cool mom. She'd even come four-wheeling with me and my boyfriends and we actually all wanted her around. And now I see the grander purpose in her being a big part of my social life...very smart! I won't list the crazy things my mom and I would do because I don't want to incriminate either of us! Believe me, she was the cool mom. I remember her 'making' me play hookie with her (I didn't want to miss my important classes/tests and protested at times!) and do whatever I wanted, just the two of us. I know she did this with my brothers too--it was her way of having special time with each of us one-on-one. That's been a great lesson to me in finding personal time for six kids myself.

And so it is with the next generation....she takes time with each of her 16 grandchildren and I think each one walks away feeling as if he/she is Ama's favorite! She bakes with them, creates things with them, teaches them gospel principles, sings with them, dances with them, plays basketball with them, rocks them, reads to them, walks with them. She treats them as if they are her own---well, they kind of are. I feel immensely blessed to call her my mother. My only wish is that we lived closer and that her visits were longer so I could actually enjoy her company more often... To everything there is a time and a season and sometimes I'm the impatient one wanting more than she can possibly spread around...I love you dearly, Mom. And now I understand completely how much you have always loved me. Gotcha first!

Happy Mother's Day!
(you see how Monson is just standing in awe that Ama can lay one up still???? Swish!)