Mama's Day

Mother's Day is always a good time to reflect on life and have some gratitude for mothers. My own mother has been gone over 20 years now. I have very little memories left the longer time goes by. A lot of what is left is just memories of memories or just feelings that I can't put into a story. A few years back someone in my ward gave a talk and said something that stuck: "All feelings of tenderness come from your mother." I think that's a pretty true statement and that most everybody holds a special place for their own moms.

For me, having babies makes me especially miss my mom. I'm sure its a lot of crazy hormones talking, but I really get emotional around each child coming into the world. I wish they could be able to know their other grandma. I think if she were here, I would probably just talk about normal mom stuff and ask what life was like for her when she was my age and what her babies were like and did dad help out very much (I think I know that answer). My dad is quite vague on details- maybe only moms can remember specifics to each kid, I don't know.

I really am grateful for the few memories I have of my mother. Recently, I was up most of the night with a sick baby, just worried to tears about her and I had a memory of my mom I haven't thought of in a really long time. I was probably around 4 years old, I was really sick with a high fever. My mom held me and rocked me in her rocking chair the whole night with exception to taking my temperature once in a while and putting a cool washcloth on my forehead. Sometime early in the morning (it was still dark), she drove me over to the doctor's house- he was in our ward and lived just around the block. I was just in underwear and was worried about leaving the house like that. My mom tied my blanket around me and said it was okay to not wear clothes this one time and the doctor won't mind. She must have been just worried about me as I was about my little sick one. Only as I get up at night for the baby I don't mind so much knowing that someone got up in the night for me and worried like I do about each sniffle and cough.
I am also grateful for those who helped raise me and fill the mommy role I needed. I was lucky to have step mothers and big sisters to help me grow up into the person I am now.

I had a nice mother's day yesterday. We made it through most of church, then had some lunch, Ken helped me get the house clean and put together, and we took a walk with the kids (they were so good!), and then had an awesome dinner outside with the fam. It was great weather, too. Happy mother's day!