The Mothers of My Life

I woke up this morning thinking about all the women in my life and what I want to take away from their example and apply in the way I term motherhood to my children. When I was younger, my main influences were my grandmothers and my mother. There were a few YW leaders that stood out to me, for the most part, the example of being a mother came from them.

My father's mother was the example of selfless service for family. Growing up, she always seemed to do all the work behind the scenes. She was constantly moving, attending to the needs of others and never expecting in return. She loved her family and was a mother to many by her example and sweet, selfless sacrifice. In her last few years I began to appreciate her for her humor as well. But it just goes to show that all those years she spent cooking, cleaning and listening, she didn't force her voice. Well, unless you started talking real crazy like.

My mother's mom taught me something I didn't appreciate until later, and that was the gift of ancestry. It took me awhile to appreciate, and even now I'm just grasping the importance of where we came from and the people were are tied to, but I definitely respect her for her ancestral legacy. They were first generation converts to the church too, so I always tied back my conversion to part of their story. I will always appreciate those who allowed me the opportunity to grow in the gospel of Christ.

My own mother is the example of intelligence, passion & understanding.  She remembers everything and you'll never think history can teach you so much until you meet her. She taught me to appreciate learning and expanding my world, in and out of the gospel. And I could see her passion for anything she became invested in. Her callings, our birthday parties, teaching students, being involved in committees and communities - my mom was active and she gave herself to the work she did. She is also one of the most understanding people I know and I've come to realize that looking back. She was always the person you wanted on your side and genuinely even if she didn't initially agree or relate, she still found a way to understand and appreciate people.

And due to our most recent situation, I have gotten to know Eric's mother who is essentially another mainstay mother in my life. And I respect her most for her inner emotional strength and faith. I felt like she has had to deal with incredible difficulties, but she is like a rock in the gospel of Christ with how she has walked through the fires and remains true and faithful.  She is a great example to me about focusing our priorities on Christ and family.

All of them have raised wonderful, strong children and I just hope we can continue to remember their good influences. The influence of a mother is powerful. They are oftentimes doing the jobs everyone else forgot about and are most likely taken for granted. Motherhood is a sacrifice, but it doesn't come without the highest of blessings. It is a sacrifice of love and it teaches us more than we could ever understand on our own.