Grateful

A Picture of Four Generations of Women, taken at the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, CA

    (Olivia 5, Me 28, My Mom 58, Grandma Pope 88) 

     This photo is very special to me. In it I see the faces of four strong women, all at their own different milestones along life's journey. When I look at the picture of my Grandma's face I see in it the face of faith, virtue, knowledge, strength, wisdom, and love. When I look at my Mom's face I see charity, love, service, compassion, faith, knowledge, patience, and concern. Both of these women have been through a lot in their life time.  Both of them have helped to teach me the things that I know and believe today, and which give me structure and direction for my own life journey. 
     I'm so grateful for the heritage I was blessed with. I'm so grateful for my Grandma's faith, that she passed down to my Mom and that my Mom in turn passed down to me. I can honestly say, just as did Helaman's stripling warriors that I do not doubt that my Mother knew it. She has an unwavering testimony in the gospel of Jesus Christ. She spends most of her days in the service of others. My Grandma knows the scriptures like the back of her hand. There was never a family party where she didn't teach us from the scriptures and testify to us of the things that she knew were true. 
      As I scan the faces from right to left in the picture above, I stop at one little face. The face that gave me the great responsibility as well as the great blessing of being a mother. As I look at that little face along with the faces next to it, I feel a major sense of gratitude. I also feel a major sense of responsiblity. There is a great weight on my shoulders to pass on the legacy that my Grandma Pope and my Mom set before me to my own children, and to their children.  
     It is my prayer that I can be the type of mother that my own wonderful, faithful, charitable, smart, and beautiful Mother was to me, and that her own faithful, wise, strong, and hard working Mother was to her. 
     One day a year does not give even even an ounce of the acknowledgment or credit that the amazing women in my life deserve, but nonetheless since it is Mother's Day, I did want to write down the tender thoughts I have of these special women, as well as to say Happy Mothers Day to two women who have helped shape who I am today along with my own sweet Mother in-law who helped shape the wonderful man that I married. To her also I will be forever grateful.