The Wishing Spell

Flap like a bird
Jump like a fish
Sit down, stand up
Wish, wish, wish!

This blog post is dedicated to a very special woman, my mother. When I had just started walking, I developed a love for Winnie the Pooh. The Wising Bear was my absolute favorite episode much to my mother's eventual horror. You can only flap like bird, jump like a fish, sit down, stand up and wish, wish, wish so many times in one day. We would wish, wish, wish for hours.

Throughout my life my mother has taught me how to fly, jump and turn wishes into reality. There are too many instances to count. Below are just a few reasons I am grateful for my mother. She's helped me become the person I am today--she's been patient as a saint and constantly encouraged me to live above the crowd, shoot for the stars, and be the best me.

Thank you for who you are mother of mine. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for all those sleepless nights all those years ago, for kissing owies better, for listening, for telling me what I don't want to hear when I need to hear it, for letting me learn my own lessons, and for your constant example of love.

Thank you for being an example of a what a real woman is and should be.

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

--Sister Marjorie Hinckley

1. My mother taught me to love the finer things in life—family, love, hard work, the development of character and the mind. When we were little Mom never let us bicker or fight. We loved each other and when conflicted arose it was resolved patiently and with love. As a result, my siblings are my best friends. Thanks Mom for teaching me the value of family and true friendship.

2. My mother has never been a respecter of persons. The scriptures teach us that “all are alike unto God.” My mother lives this principle. I’ll never forget the day she brought home this sweet little woman—she was five foot nothing and life had not been kind. My mom found her sitting outside the grocery store with a sign—she was looking for help. She was the kind of woman many of us would be too small to help; she would make us nervous or feel uncomfortable. My mom brought her to our home, fed her a good meal and hired her to help around the house. She also found her employment with several other members of our ward. Thanks Mom for teaching me that we’re all children of our Heavenly Father.

3. My mother taught me that the kitchen is the heart of the home. She taught me the mysterious art of baking love into every pizza, every dessert or casserole. I love to be in the kitchen because of this wonderful woman. I’ll never forget her patience as I stared in horror at the raw chicken she had commissioned me to chop for dinner one night. I realize now how much sacrifice it took for my mother to keep us healthy and well fed. Thanks Mom for teaching me to love being in the kitchen and for keeping us healthy and full.

4. Integrity. My mom taught us that honesty is the best policy, always. We never got in as much trouble if we just told the truth. It was never scary to own up to my mistakes to my parents. I knew that I would have to face consequences, but those consequences never cause me to doubt my mother’s love. Thanks mom for teaching me to be honest in my dealings with my fellow men. The principle of integrity has opened doors I never thought possible. It is the foundation of a good character—thank you for that gift.

5. My mother taught me the importance of education and cultivating talents. She taxied me to and from dance lessons, voice lessons, and the community college. She patiently helped me to develop a love for learning—in grade school I hated to read. Absolutely loathed it—it showed in my grades and my teachers were concerned. I’ll never forget sitting next to my mother on her giant bed. She had searched and searched and finally found the magic: Nancy Drew. She gave me the first one and gently explained the magic of the written word. This opened my eyes to the world of literature. From that moment she has continually supported my thirst for good books.

I could go on and on. Mom you're getting a framed list much longer than this, but I just wanted to share few of my favorites with you today, Mother's Day.

Thank you for making the decisions you did that gave me the honor of being your daughter.

I am grateful to you. I love you.

Your life has been the greatest blessing of mine.