One week ago my Relief Society president asked if I wouldn't mind sharing a little something about my mother during the Mother's Day lesson. Now I'm the first to admit that I should never speak to a room full of people because of all the anxiety it causes me, but because of the subject matter I didn't think twice before saying yes. Why is this? Because there is so much to say about my mother. I could write an entire book about my mother. Also, I like to brag about my mother every chance I get because she is made of awesome sauce.
That's right, you heard it here: my mom is made of awesome sauce. Jealous?
Don't get me wrong, I haven't always felt this way about my mother. During my turbulent teenage years, though I loved my mother very much, we were not exactly what you would call close. We were more like enemies, or at least that's how I saw it. Looking back I see a very patient saint of a woman doing her best to raise an idiotic teenager. Why idiotic? Because I honestly believed I knew everything, and I was extremely disrespectful to boot. But enough about my former self, let's get to the topic at hand: my mother.
This is my mom, Elida. She's 70 and she doesn't even look it, right? You'd never guess she's the mother of 8 kids, grandmother to 28 (33 counting the step-grandchildren, which, by the way, she does), great-grandmother to 1 (+ 1 more on the way!).
When people find out she's the matriarch to such a large family they tend to ask her if she knows everyone's names (seriously, people ask her this) and birth dates. The answer is yes, she totally does. Not only does she know everyone's names but she knows everyone's birth dates by heart and sends a card to each and every one of us containing a personal message (plus a little spending money because she's thoughtful like that). But that's just the icing on the cake.
The thing is my mother has a meaningful relationship with each and every one of us. She knows the ins and outs of our day to day lives because she's the person many, if not all of us turn to when we just need to talk. She's a fantastic listener and really great at giving advice. In the rare times she doesn't know how to help, she prays for the family member needing help and puts their name in the temple prayer roll.
Some of my earliest memories involve me frantically looking all over the house for my mother, calling for her yet receiving no answer. Where was she? What was she doing? Kneeling at a bed. Praying. Every. Single. Time.
I used to wonder why she was always praying and, though I hate to admit it, sometimes her praying would bother me because I was a very impatient kid and I had Super Important things to ask her. Now that I am a mother whose prayers are frequently interrupted by Super Important questions I can safely say my Super Important questions probably weren't as important as I thought they were. For the record: my prayers are often interrupted by one or more of the following (supposedly) Super Important questions: "Mom, what do guinea pigs sound like?", "Mom, can I have an ice cream sandwich for lunch?", "Mom can I have a (insert any toy here) for my birthday/Christmas?", "Mom, why won't you look at me? Why won't you talk to me? Moooooooom! What are you doing?", and my personal favorite, "Mom, where's my (insert any toy here)? Wheeeeere iiiiis iiiiit? I waaaaant it! FinditIneeditnow!" I digress.
As a mother of three little girls, I've come to understand why my mother was/is always praying for us. Sometimes it's the only thing a mother can do, especially when we need to take a little break, or just need somebody to talk to when we're frustrated. My mother told me that she even prays for strength to keep moving when she's exhausted. Guess what? I've tried it, and it works.
I tend to joke that my mom and Heavenly Father are likethis which is why small miracles tend to occur when she's praying. All kidding aside, my mother does have a close personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. She always has a prayer in her heart because with such a large family there is always someone to pray for. I know my family has benefited from more then our fare share of her prayers, and for that I will always be grateful.
My mother has a happy heart and a joyful spirit. While I was preparing to speak about my mother I started looking through pictures of my her and I noticed she's smiling in every single one. Even in the pictures that were taken when she's so obviously tired because she's been dealing with a stupid teenager (*cough* me *cough*), or immediately after a 20+ hour road trip in a POS car full of smelly kids. Even all the times she didn't know someone was taking a picture of her, she's still smiling.
She has a great sense of humor and she loves when we get together to share memories. A favorite topic of hers? Embarrassing moments. My mom has some of the best embarrassing moments. She isn't afraid to share them and encourages us to share our own embarrassing moments in turn. We can spend a couple of hours, at least, talking and laughing about all the mortifying things that have happened to us over the years. I love that she's always encouraged this as we've all learned how to laugh at ourselves. I feel that we've all learned that laughing is much better than crying.
You know how Snow White's dwarfs whistle while they work? Well my mother sings/hums church hymns while she cleans. It's probably one of my favorite things she does because it reminds me of my childhood, when I would follow her from room to room as she cleaned up after all of us. Also, I've started to sing while I clean--admittedly, I usually sing songs by the Killers or Regina Spektor or Mumford and Sons, but on Sundays I stick to the hymns--and even though I don't have the best singing voice, I do notice the house work tends to get done a lot faster, which is always nice.
I have a ton of other things I could say about my mother and reasons why you should be jealous, but I won't because this blog entry won't end, ever.
Before I bring things to a close I wanted to say one last thing: even though I prepared a long list of things to say about my mom during today's Relief Society lesson, I didn't end up sharing most of it because I felt inspired to say something else entirely.
Today's lesson was based on a talk given by Julie B. Beck called Mothers Who Know and while there is a wealth of knowledge within, the parts that really stuck to me as I was waiting to talk about my mother was this:
And this:
Why did these specific excerpts stand out to me? Both describe my mother to a tee--actually, the whole talk describes my mother, but these parts stood out specifically. My mother is a mother who knows, has always known, and like the stripling warriors I could never doubt it. She's always had a strong testimony of the Church and because of the strength of her testimony she's been vigilant, always done everything she could to raise all her children to be good people, she has always exhibited Christ-like love. Above all else, she stands strong and is immoveable.
I am truly grateful for my mother, for all that she's done for me, for the sacrifices she's made, for the example that she sets, and for all the love that she gives. I'm grateful that she and I have grown close, that we've become best friends. I am grateful I was sent to her, because if I hadn't been I wouldn't be the person I am today.
Thank you, mom, for being crazy enough to raise 8 kids.
Love,
Penny (a.k.a. kid #8)
That's right, you heard it here: my mom is made of awesome sauce. Jealous?
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No, adorable little girl, MY MOM is cooler than your mom. Also,
I'm 100% positive she could beat up your mom, if it came down to it.
Regardless, cute shirt. I wonder if it's available in my size?
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Don't get me wrong, I haven't always felt this way about my mother. During my turbulent teenage years, though I loved my mother very much, we were not exactly what you would call close. We were more like enemies, or at least that's how I saw it. Looking back I see a very patient saint of a woman doing her best to raise an idiotic teenager. Why idiotic? Because I honestly believed I knew everything, and I was extremely disrespectful to boot. But enough about my former self, let's get to the topic at hand: my mother.
When people find out she's the matriarch to such a large family they tend to ask her if she knows everyone's names (seriously, people ask her this) and birth dates. The answer is yes, she totally does. Not only does she know everyone's names but she knows everyone's birth dates by heart and sends a card to each and every one of us containing a personal message (plus a little spending money because she's thoughtful like that). But that's just the icing on the cake.
The thing is my mother has a meaningful relationship with each and every one of us. She knows the ins and outs of our day to day lives because she's the person many, if not all of us turn to when we just need to talk. She's a fantastic listener and really great at giving advice. In the rare times she doesn't know how to help, she prays for the family member needing help and puts their name in the temple prayer roll.
Some of my earliest memories involve me frantically looking all over the house for my mother, calling for her yet receiving no answer. Where was she? What was she doing? Kneeling at a bed. Praying. Every. Single. Time.
I used to wonder why she was always praying and, though I hate to admit it, sometimes her praying would bother me because I was a very impatient kid and I had Super Important things to ask her. Now that I am a mother whose prayers are frequently interrupted by Super Important questions I can safely say my Super Important questions probably weren't as important as I thought they were. For the record: my prayers are often interrupted by one or more of the following (supposedly) Super Important questions: "Mom, what do guinea pigs sound like?", "Mom, can I have an ice cream sandwich for lunch?", "Mom can I have a (insert any toy here) for my birthday/Christmas?", "Mom, why won't you look at me? Why won't you talk to me? Moooooooom! What are you doing?", and my personal favorite, "Mom, where's my (insert any toy here)? Wheeeeere iiiiis iiiiit? I waaaaant it! FinditIneeditnow!" I digress.
As a mother of three little girls, I've come to understand why my mother was/is always praying for us. Sometimes it's the only thing a mother can do, especially when we need to take a little break, or just need somebody to talk to when we're frustrated. My mother told me that she even prays for strength to keep moving when she's exhausted. Guess what? I've tried it, and it works.
I tend to joke that my mom and Heavenly Father are likethis which is why small miracles tend to occur when she's praying. All kidding aside, my mother does have a close personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. She always has a prayer in her heart because with such a large family there is always someone to pray for. I know my family has benefited from more then our fare share of her prayers, and for that I will always be grateful.
My mother has a happy heart and a joyful spirit. While I was preparing to speak about my mother I started looking through pictures of my her and I noticed she's smiling in every single one. Even in the pictures that were taken when she's so obviously tired because she's been dealing with a stupid teenager (*cough* me *cough*), or immediately after a 20+ hour road trip in a POS car full of smelly kids. Even all the times she didn't know someone was taking a picture of her, she's still smiling.
She has a great sense of humor and she loves when we get together to share memories. A favorite topic of hers? Embarrassing moments. My mom has some of the best embarrassing moments. She isn't afraid to share them and encourages us to share our own embarrassing moments in turn. We can spend a couple of hours, at least, talking and laughing about all the mortifying things that have happened to us over the years. I love that she's always encouraged this as we've all learned how to laugh at ourselves. I feel that we've all learned that laughing is much better than crying.
You know how Snow White's dwarfs whistle while they work? Well my mother sings/hums church hymns while she cleans. It's probably one of my favorite things she does because it reminds me of my childhood, when I would follow her from room to room as she cleaned up after all of us. Also, I've started to sing while I clean--admittedly, I usually sing songs by the Killers or Regina Spektor or Mumford and Sons, but on Sundays I stick to the hymns--and even though I don't have the best singing voice, I do notice the house work tends to get done a lot faster, which is always nice.
I have a ton of other things I could say about my mother and reasons why you should be jealous, but I won't because this blog entry won't end, ever.
Before I bring things to a close I wanted to say one last thing: even though I prepared a long list of things to say about my mom during today's Relief Society lesson, I didn't end up sharing most of it because I felt inspired to say something else entirely.
Today's lesson was based on a talk given by Julie B. Beck called Mothers Who Know and while there is a wealth of knowledge within, the parts that really stuck to me as I was waiting to talk about my mother was this:
"In the Book of Mormon we read about 2,000 exemplary young men who were exceedingly valiant, courageous, and strong. “Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him” (Alma 53:21). These faithful young men paid tribute to their mothers. They said, “Our mothers knew it” (Alma 56:48). I would suspect that the mothers of Captain Moroni, Mosiah, Mormon, and other great leaders also knew.
The responsibility mothers have today has never required more vigilance. More than at any time in the history of the world, we need mothers who know. Children are being born into a world where they “wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). 1 However, mothers need not fear. When mothers know who they are and who God is and have made covenants with Him, they will have great power and influence for good on their children."
And this:
"Mothers Who Know Stand Strong and Immovable
Who will prepare this righteous generation of sons and daughters? Latter-day Saint women will do this—women who know and love the Lord and bear testimony of Him, women who are strong and immovable and who do not give up during difficult and discouraging times. We are led by an inspired prophet of God who has called upon the women of the Church to “stand strong and immovable for that which is correct and proper under the plan of the Lord.” 6 He has asked us to “begin in [our] own homes” 7 to teach children the ways of truth. Latter-day Saint women should be the very best in the world at upholding, nurturing, and protecting families. I have every confidence that our women will do this and will come to be known as mothers who “knew” (Alma 56:48). In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
Why did these specific excerpts stand out to me? Both describe my mother to a tee--actually, the whole talk describes my mother, but these parts stood out specifically. My mother is a mother who knows, has always known, and like the stripling warriors I could never doubt it. She's always had a strong testimony of the Church and because of the strength of her testimony she's been vigilant, always done everything she could to raise all her children to be good people, she has always exhibited Christ-like love. Above all else, she stands strong and is immoveable.
I am truly grateful for my mother, for all that she's done for me, for the sacrifices she's made, for the example that she sets, and for all the love that she gives. I'm grateful that she and I have grown close, that we've become best friends. I am grateful I was sent to her, because if I hadn't been I wouldn't be the person I am today.
Thank you, mom, for being crazy enough to raise 8 kids.
Love,
Penny (a.k.a. kid #8)
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| The originals |
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Most of the Galan gang
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P.S. And because I know my mom loves it so much:
I love my lovely family!
6 comments:
Penny this post was so great! It made me cry! (And I don't cry very easily). It's true though, this woman is truly remarkable. I love love love the picture of you guys in white shirts, it's not often that you are all in the same place at the same time. And I love the white. It reminds me of heaven! Anyway, thanks for sharing this! Keep the posts coming because I love your writing!
Penny I loved this and it is all ssoooo true.
Penny, this is such a beautiful tribute to your mother. You are such an eloquent writer.I was so touched the pictures, it's like a before and after of a wonderful family.
Your mom is pretty awesome, and I remember her always being happy, too...so I'm glad you mentioned that part. I can still remember your mom's laugh and it's been probably 9 years plus since I've heard it!
i don't even know your mom but i love what a great woman she is. such a great example for her kids and grandkids!
Penny and all of the Galan family,
I know your Mom quite well and have for about 45 years. We share the same name. She is one of my very best friends. We have shared many experiences...some were fun, some not so much...as Cub Scout Leaders, as sisters in the Gospel working for common goals and as friends, always supporting and upholding our family values. Everything you wrote is true. I cherish her friendship still today and always love the times we are together. May God bless her and your incredible family with the best in life always. I love your Dad just as much. Will save that for Father's Day.
Elida Marie Homer Richey
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