Mother's Day

I looked up 52 Stories about mothers looking for just the right question to write about today.  Since I have a "different" kind of Mom, I decided to write just about a couple of things that I learned from her.

First, and foremost, my mother taught me to pray.  I don't remember her teaching it.  I just remember that we always prayed in our home.  We prayed for every meal.  We had family prayer.  And I always prayed before I went to bed.  This is kind of interesting to me because I don't think that our home was a super spiritual home.  We didn't talk gospel principles all day long.  But prayer was huge.  I hope that I have instilled the importance of constant prayer into my children's lives.  Prayer has gotten me through everything that I have ever struggled through.  Prayer is a critical tool in my daily life.  I don't feel like I can enter any pharmacy without first petitioning the Lord to protect me and my patients.  Every meal must be blessed and a note a gratitude given to the Lord for his goodness.  More and more, we pray in the morning for the protection and love of our family, children, grandchildren, and friends.  I already know the Lord is listening.  He is there and hears me.  I know it.

Next, somehow, my mom taught me how important education was.  I don't know how she did this.  She made learning fun.  Somehow she rewarded me for being a good student.  It wasn't just the $10 for every A I made.  There was something in the demeanor about her that said, "college is next."  It never occurred to me to not go to college. It was the logical next step in my progression.  My love of learning and my passion for school are clearly a result of her encouragement.  You can see it in me and in all my siblings.

So maybe not such a good trait, my mom really loved to laugh with her kids.  Even when the jokes were a little raunchy, she still loved to look at her children and enjoy them.  I think that I got this from her.  I love watching my kids grow.  I love laughing with them and at them.  What a joy it is to hang out with them, even when they are a little crazy and a lot irreverent.  They are amazing individuals who are bright, intelligent, funny, happy, and wise.  I can learn a lot from them all.  When we get together, I cherish the moments when I see them interacting with each other in a fun and loving way.  I think my mom set this quiet example for me.

I am sure there are more examples.  But a long blog post is icky.  This is me on my mom's lap and my 4 older brothers.  Happy Mother's Day, not just to you, Mom, but to all the cool mom's out there.