Well, I'm Not Rosemary's Granddaughter, But...

At the day's end my mama's still my biggest fan! (See Jessica Andrews' song, "Who I Am.")

This post is a shout out to my mom. She's not just my mom, she's my best friend! And I don't know where I would be without her positive influence and example. Whether I'm happy, sad, jaded, or upset, I can call and count on hanging up in a better mood than before.

She shares my joy, she shares my pain, and she encourages me every step of the way. I think she must have some kind of imbedded sixth sense that tells her when I need sympathy, when I need advice, when I need a simple, "You can do it!" or when I just need a funny story. My mom always believes in me. Hearing her compliments through my childhood and today, and gleaning hope from her words of encouragement inspires me to reach to fulfill my potential.

Being away from home has helped me come to a more acute realization of how valued this relationship is to me. I fondly awaken the memories of being flipped across the basement by a box of peaches, eating graham cracker and frosting sandwiches after school, going to early morning yard sales, reading Sweet Pickles Books, going to the Orange Show, singing all of the songs in the Scripture Scouts songbook while trying to stay in tune, reading the Friend, learning to make dinners, scrapbooking on holidays, playing games, and going, "sa-WIMMING, with our sa-WIMMING suits on!"

Thanks, Mom, for the love, support, encouragement, fun, spiritual nurturing, and sacrifices you have made in my behalf. Your faith and confidence in me has made me the person I am today. I love you!

"Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence"

http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=8501

And After Another Discouraging Test...

...I got home and sat in front of my computer with frustration. I had forgotten the feeling of doing so horribly on tests only to do wonderfully in the class due to the steep curve that's applied. It can still be discouraging, though! As I pondered my plight and questioned my intellectual ability, I opened an e-mail...one that comes every morning, yet for some reason had been postponed and came in the evening. It proved to be exactly what I needed.

The wisdom of President Dieter F. Uchtdorf was expressed in the quote that was e-mailed to me by LDS Gems:

"Wherever you live on this earth and whatever your life's situation may be, I testify to you that the gospel of Jesus Christ has the divine power to lift you to great heights from what appears at times to be an unbearable burden or weakness. The Lord knows your circumstances and your challenges. He said to Paul and to all of us, 'My grace is sufficient for thee.' And like Paul we can answer: 'My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me' (2 Corinthians 12:9)."As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we may claim the blessings promised in the covenants and the ordinances we received when we accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ."

Tender mercies.