Happy Birthday

Today my mom would have been 59 years old. Last month I was asked to present something about my mom for a Relief Society dinner, preferably something she had written. I chose an email I found in my collection of recipes that she had written while I was in college, and then I took a look at some of her journals. I found this:

              "1 January 1979 [I was two years old.] Larry spoke in church this past Sunday and gave a list – priority list that will truly be beneficial to me this coming year. Number one was a closer relationship to the Savior – personal – and way basic. I need just that.
              "I feel I’ve not progressed slowly for my 25+ years but time is not going to wait. I’ve known the deep abiding comfort of the Holy Ghost and the whispering in times of need. I’ve had help in raising my children, in my church callings and coping with a busy husband’s schedule. But I’m having problems with consistency. Prayer and scripture reading every morning and planning my weeks to use time wisely. I’ve had some good practice here and I’ve got a good system when I use it. It keeps my mind free of details so I can think of other things. Time marches on and my life gets more complicated with each day it seems.
                "I hope I can remember where real joy is – in giving of myself. I need to do more of that, but I’m finding myself very selfish of my time.
                "I hope to do better in the coming year.”

At 26 my mom could say that she knew, that she needed to do more, and that she wanted to be better. For the next 33 years she worked on knowing more deeply, doing more, and being better. I feel blessed to have been a witness of the multitude of lives she touched with her knowing and doing and being. Especially mine.