"All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother."

The title quote was stated by President Abraham Lincoln.

It is not a stretch of my mind to conclude that many of the great things that men and women have done in history can be attributed to the influence of their mothers. I may not have become a rock star or been the first to set foot on Mars but I would like to think that many (if not all) of the good qualities I have come from my mother-through example and love.


1. Generosity is the first quality I have learned. Mothers are perhaps the most generous of all individuals. They give of their time, their means and their hearts. Never have I been refused the things I have needed when I am around my mother. She has literally given me the shirt off her back before! More often than not visits from her (and to her) include gestures of love and kindness for things that I might be able to use or that will make my life even slightly easier. A lifetime would not be long enough to pay the debt I owe her.


2. To Love is to live and I learned how from Mom. There are two kinds of love-romantic love and motherly love. When you finally reach the status of MOTHER, only then do you know what it feels like to have your heart bound by another. Motherly love extends beyond the laws of nature and the bounds of time. It is Eternal and important. Although I have yet to give of motherly love, I have felt that love given to me. I can only try to replicate it which undoubtedly always falls short. How grateful I am to have a mother who shows me this love on a DAILY basis.


3. I once asked my father why he loved my mother and one of the reasons he told me was that she is a HARD WORKER. If any of you know my mom, you know that looking up the definition of "Hard Worker" in the dictionary will result in seeing her photograph. There are a select and noble few who work as hard as my mom does. She is the organization queen! I remember in high school thinking, 'How does she do it? She works full time, has a huge calling in our ward, cleans our house, takes care of the grocery shopping, laundry, ironing, and still has time to shop with me, listen to my concerns, watch movies with me til all hours of the night, and no matter how tired she gets I know that she would run a marathon to get to me if I needed her." I want to be like my mom when I grow up.



4. "A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take."
- Cardinal Mermillod

Mothers are literally transformers. They can switch from the role of 'Master Chef' to 'Seamstress' and from 'Shuttle Driver' to 'Doctor'. Being sick is never fun and perhaps being sick over the past week has helped me to appreciate all of the late nights my mom spent up rocking me in our wooden rocking chair and caring for me when I had a tummy ache or nightmares. The amazing thing about moms is that they have some sort of built in sense about the aches and ills of their children. I remember on several occasions waking up and barely taking a step onto the carpet when my mom would say, "Hyd are you okay?" My mom cares about me and about others.


5. Of all the important things you can do as a parent, one of the most important is setting a good example for your children. How better to know in what way to act? My mom is a wonderful example to our family and those she meets. She lives a life of HONOR, integrity, and testimony. The qualities she teaches are not done through a textbook or simply by instruction to do so, she has been a living example.


On this my mom's 52nd (can you believe it?!) birthday, I want to let her know how glad I am that she is a part of my life. Mom, all of the lessons you have taught me through the years have been more influential than you know. I love you for all of the nights in the rocking chair, shopping trips, late night talks, words of comfort and love, and those hugs that only mom can give just right. I love you, Mom. Happy Birthday!