Mother's Day In Japan

The outside of a Mother's Day card I made when I was about 11 or 12 years old.

The inside of the card.  Notice the extraordinary artwork and the prolific prose of the poem.

My Mother's Day - 2011

What a beautiful day it is today.  The sun is shining and when we left for church it was about 65 degrees.  It makes you think it's spring in Wyoming.

My Mother's Day started with a phone call from my former "heir-with-no-spare" (he lost that title when Derek was born) a/k/a my little bambino wishing me Happy Mother's Day.  It was short and sweet as church was about to start for him.  I then called my own sweet mother and read her the blog I'd written early this morning.  Oh, how I love her so much.  I'm looking forward to another Mother's Day with her next year.

Then it was time for church for us.  We had Fast and Testimony day today since there was stake conference last week.  For the first time that I can ever remember, there were no talks about mothers or mother's love or anything about moms except if someone mentioned it when they were bearing their testimony.

During the meeting, I did glean a thought that I immediately emblazed on my mind which I consider so true.  It is this...

I may not have been the perfect mom.  But hopefully, I was the perfect one for Corey.  I suppose only time will tell when he looks back on how I raised him and ultimately it will be up to him to decide if I was a successful mom.   I certainly hope he does because he is the best of work I ever created and I'm so proud of him.

At the conclusion of the meeting, all the moms were given a CD which I think is so very nice.  It's something that can be used over and over again.

And then Corey called again this afternoon to let me know what my present was - a 2 year subscription to the Ensign.  Wonderful!  It can be added onto the subscription I presently have and it won't be expiring for almost 3 years.  Thank you Corey and Nikki. 

It's amazing that the older you get, you really do find out that a card or a phone call will suffice as a present because all you really want is for your child to be happy. 

For Me - Mother's Day 2011

See how blessed I am!

Mother's Prayer To My Son

Though Corey may be a married man and the father to his own son, I still think this is appropriate.  I can only hope that as his mother. that he feels that I did my best. 

O, Master, make me a better mother.

Teach me to understand my son, to listen patiently to what he has to say, and to answer all the questions kindly.  Keep me as courteous to him as I would like him to be to me.  Give me the courage to confess my sins against my son and to ask his forgiveness, when I know that I have done him a wrong.

May I not vainly hurt the feelings of my son.  Forbid that I should laugh at his mistakes or resort to shame and ridicule as punishment.  let me not tempt my child to lie and to steal.  So guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness.

Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me.  may I cease to nag; and when I am out of sorts, help me hold my tongue.

Blind me to the little errors of my son and help me see the good things that he does.  Give me a ready word of honest praise.

Help me to grow up with my son, to treat him as would those of his own age, but let me not exact out of him the judgment and conventions of adults.  Allow me not to rob him of the opportunity to wait upon himself, to think, to choose and to make decisions.

Forbid that I should ever punish him for my selfish satisfaction.  May I grant him all his wishes that are reasonable and have the courage always to withhold a privilege which I know will do him harm.

Make me so fair and just, so considerate and companionable to my son that he will have a genuine esteem for me.  Fit me to be loved and imitated.

With all Thy gifts, O great Master, give me calm, poise and self-control.

Amen

Mother's Day 2011 - A Thank You Card For You

To My Dear Mom:

Though I can't share this Mother's Day with you this year, I just want to say...

Thank You -

• Thank you for always being there for me even when you should and could have turned your back on me.
• Thank you for being a role model and showing me how to be a good mother and wife.
• Thank you for giving me the joy of music even though you couldn't really sing and neither can I. But, thank you for the memory and love of "The Chocolate Ice Cream Cone" song.
• Thank you for teaching me how to cook and how to use what's on hand.
• Thank you for getting me up in the mornings to get to school and seminary (but not for singing "Good Morning, Mary Sunshine).
• Thank you for making me a hot breakfast every morning (but not the oatmeal with raisins).
• Thank you for always having a clean home and teaching me to take pride in what it should look like - inside and out.
• Thank you for doing my laundry for so many years and teaching me how to do my own.
• Thank you for praying for me...over and over and over and over again.
• Thank you for finally letting me shave my legs.  And yes, you were right the hair does grow faster and it's not near as much fun as it used to be.
• Thank you for taking me shopping for clothes.
• Thank you for listening to my griping and complaining.
• Thank you for always being my head cheerleader.
• Thank you for being my chauffeur and then for teaching me to drive even though it literally made you sick.
• Thank you for the late night talks and wiping away my tears on so many, many occasions.
• Thank you for helping advice on raising Corey.  Remember you gave him his first bath.
• Thank you for loving my sweet husband and welcoming him into your heart.
• Thank you for never saying out loud "I told you so".
• Thank you for the companionship on out of town trips and vacations.  They wouldn't have been nearly so much fun by myself.
• Thank you for being there after school with the milk and cookies and a listening ear about my day.
• Thank you for loving the Gospel and your testimony.  Thank you for the shared moments in the temple.
• Thank you for always being worthy of your covenants.
• Thank you for being a voice on the other end of the phone when I needed a listening ear or a comforting thought or someone to just be there saying nothing.
• Thank you always saying that you are proud of me and that you love me and that I never had to doubt that.
• Thank you for so many, many other things, but most of all...
• Thank you for being MY mom.

Mother's Day 1987

Mother's Day 2010

I came home from work the other day and was met with a wonderful surprise! The kids sent me this beautiful bouquet as my Mother's Day present. What a wonderful blessing they are in my life each and every day.