On this Mother's Day . . .

On this Mother's Day as I was ironing David's white shirt, I thought of his mom and how she raised David to do great things.  She had high expectations of her children and she made sure that they measured up.  When the A- came home she would say, "What happened?"  When they were assigned talks in church, she insisted that they would be memorized.  I thought of how proud she would be if she see her son in that white shirt going about his duties as Stake President.

On this Mother's Day I stood and gave a Sunday school lesson.  I found myself saying "my mother taught me" this and "my mother taught me" that.  I hadn't planned on all of those references to my mom but there there they were, testifying of my mother's goodness. 

My mom didn't ever equivocate, she never gossiped.  I have only ever heard her say one swear word when she was describing one particularly bad day.  We weren't raised with any kind of double standard because mom lived as she expected us to live.  We, her children, have always known where we should be and what we should be doing because mom was already there showing us the way.

On this Mother's Day, I picked up the phone 5 times to hear 5 children, now adults, tell me how much they love me.  Talking to Greg, I could hear sounds of his children ooooing and aaaaing over a new 4 day old brother.  With Diana, I could hear her fiance Dan interjecting a phrase here and there.  They sound so happy.  Julia told me that her baby Henry was sleeping and that she was lying on the floor while Calvin put toys on her face.  Rachel's little Jane fell asleep after saying "I love oooo".  Katie had just gotten back from taking a cake that she had made especially for her Grandma Packard.  She uses her little kitchen to make wonderful things and shares them with everyone she loves.

On this Mother's Day a couple of my children apologized for not doing more for me.  What they don't know is that I already have what I want.  Their gift to me on this Mother's Day is to know that they are living their lives as I always hoped they would.  When Diana is married in July, I will be able to sit in that sealing room of the temple surrounded with my husband and all of my children and their spouses.

On this Mother's Day how could I ask for more?  I am blessed beyond measure.