mom

Being my first Mother's Day away from my mom and not getting to make her special dinner and play Capture the Flag with the rest of my family, I spent much of the day thinking about all of the things she has taught me and why mothers really do deserve a day all to themselves.  I was blessed to have my mom visit for a week at the beginning of April, but since then I've just been a little sad realizing how much I have missed her and that I didn't fully take advantage of having her around all the time when I lived at home.  Waiting to have my breakdowns over the phone at 1:30 in the morning because its 9:30 for her just aren't quite the same as having them in person when they need to come.  Needless to say, I will be grateful to (hopefully!) have her closer and not 8 hours ahead soon.

But mom I just wanted to write you this and thank you for the example you are to me and for being the amazing mother that you are.  Since I've been at college I have really just missed nights at home with you, Dad (if he was awake), Benj, and Anna.  I love that such simple things like playing games or watching a TV show or just talking in your bed meant so much to me and made me feel like you really cherished that special time you had with "your big guys."  I realize now how much I appreciate that you taught us to love and have fun with each other, and that you raised us in an environment that made us want to be at home rather than going out.  I love that that also made my friends want to be at home with us, and that you treated them the same way as you treated us.  I love that you cared about them so much and went out of your way to do things for them, like making Billy that giant bag of pretzels which he was seriously so excited about.  Although maybe not at the time, I now feel honored to look back and remember how many people, especially your Young Women, told me how lucky I was that you were my mom and how cool and fun you were.  Even that your students love you so much tells so much about your personality and your ability to love and care for everyone.

I'm grateful that you make sure that we understand what our standards are growing up, but also that you make sure we understand why we have them which makes them a little easier to accept.  Thank you for sticking to them even when I was so against it ... but really, what teenage girl actually wants their mom to sew ugly sleeves onto their already perfect prom dress? As you've probably realized from this past year's experiences, I have now learned to trust your opinions and your advice, and I really am so grateful that you aren't afraid to share it with me even if you know I won't like it.  It has made me much more cautious when making decisions but I have appreciated your honesty and your patience when sometimes it takes a while to accept.

I love that you are so self-sufficient and have the desire that not many do to figure things out for yourself.  You are so amazingly talented, but you're also so willing to share your talents with everyone and I love that about you.  I know that you laugh at me when I tell you I want to go to the market when I come home after my years of defiance and the mocking that you and Benj claim happened, but I'm so excited to go with you and spend time being crafty with you while I still can.  Your selflessness has also always meant so much to me as, growing up, I watched the numerous times you listened and talked to people who really needed you, whether you knew them well or not, and I know that in many of the cases your simple acts of love left such a huge impact on them.  I'm grateful that you weren't quiet with your love and your willingness to help, and that you care so much for others and how they're doing, as I have been lucky to inherit that from you and be able to bless others as well.

Thank you for always being excited for me when I'm successful, for going to my games, for writing me notes of encouragement on Facebook during school, for calling me just to say I love you, for listening to my complaints and helping me see ways to be positive and to fix my problems, for loving Chad and being so happy for us even though it didn't really unfold the way any of us had planned, for being accepting of my faults and helping me to be better, for teaching me to love the Gospel and to appreciate the blessings we receive because of it.  I could go on and on about all the things you do for me and all of the things I'm grateful for but it would just take too long.  But lastly, I just want to thank you for always showing your love to Dad, to us, to your family, and to other because so many children don't ever have the opportunity to feel loved, appreciated, and wanted and I did.

I love you mom, happy Mother's Day.