Thursday, January 22, 2009
Life's Lessons
After teaching a lesson on Sunday at church I was struck by the number of women who think their offerings as mothers, wives, sisters, aunts, are not acceptable. That somehow, after all the laundry, dirty toilets, running about for this child or that, they should have the extra time to be sure there are no dust bunnies ANYWHERE, and they are calm, cool, and collected ALL THE TIME. I do not think I am perfect by any stretch, and often have trouble accepting that any part of my offering to my family, workplace, friends, world is acceptable. However, it has become my goal to help myself and as many others as I can reach to understand that we are expected to try our best - and the Lord picks up the rest. We are not expected to be perfect in any way...just to try our best. So next time you are tempted to punish yourself because the laundry is growing (why don't we ever have more to wear if the laundry GROWS?), or the flower beds are weeded, remember, we are acceptable as we are in the sight of God.
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I am here today to honor someone very special to me. This woman’s name is Melinda Carruth, and she is my mother. She is an absolutely amazing person and I would be completely lost without her. She is there for me when I need her strength, she loves me, and she does all that she can to help me succeed in all that I do.
My mom is always there for me. I am a very emotional person and I will more than willingly express my belief, my stress, my irritation, my sadness, my excitement, and my joy. My mom is always there to receive my emotions. She’s the one at home that I go to with everything. She has so much going on in her life and yet still has time for me. For example: This last week I had an emotional breakdown. I have a habit of procrastination in school and my schedule is extremely overbooked until the end of the semester. This along with issues at home just came together one night last week. My mother sat in the car with me while I cried and expressed my hopelessness in the situation I was in. She assured me that everything would be all right and offered to take time to help me create a schedule to follow until the end of the semester. One of the more happy times my mom has shared with me is when my mom came with me to go clothes shopping after Christmas. I was eager to get some new clothes and she came with and put up with me. I’m not always easy to shop with, but we both had a great time.
I don’t know what I would do without the love of my mother. I am not really sure how to describe the way she loves me. I just know she does. She is always willing to give me a hug or let me put my head in her lap while she runs her fingers through my hair. This may sound insignificant or weird to some of you, but it’s some of those little things that help me bond with my mom. She will do all kinds of little things to make me happy. She is an excellent mom who has raised me right up to this point and still continues to do so. She teaches me the values and principles of our faith along with principles that she personally believes in. I know that I am a better person because of my mom. It is hard for me to put into words how I know she loves me, but I know that she does.
My mom also helps me juggle my life, while juggling hers, to make sure that I have the means to succeed in what I do and what I’m aspiring to do. Ever since middle school, and maybe even longer, my mom has helped me with my schoolwork when she can. As I mentioned before, I am a terrible procrastinator. Starting in middle school, the workload got harder and more frequent, and I would have last minute projects starting to break me down. My mother would stay up with me late into the night, helping me whenever she could. She also has helped me during high school with projects I let get away from me. This year has been especially stressful because of college and scholarship applications with very specific due dates. This winter quarter has been the hardest so far. Along with finals coming up, scholarship deadlines are coming up, and to add to the top of this already significant list, I’m currently participating on the school bowling team. My mom has gone out of her way to do hours upon hours of research for scholarships, even filling some out for me until I am required to write essays or answer more personal questions. If it weren’t for my mom, I’d have no chance at receiving financial aid for college. It astounds me how she finds the time to do the stuff that I don’t. She has a job, working at offices and at home. She keeps the house straight. She cooks for the family. She goes to nearly all of my dad’s appointments and is there for him any time that he needs her. My dad has been suffering desperately from his depression for the last two years. On the road to recovery he’s been on, my mom has been there every step of the way, and still finds time in the midst of her full schedule to assist me in my preparations for my future education.
I really don’t know how my mom multitasks with all of the things going on in her life and in our family’s life. Her determination and dedication are truly inspiring to me. I hope to one day have these qualities like my mom. She is the most amazing role model and I’m lucky to have her as a person who is so incredibly involved in my life. I love my mom dearly and I am so thankful for her. I am truly blessed to be the daughter of such a giving and loving woman.
I love you Mom
Sami Carruth
Amen, and amen. Just in case you ever wonder if it's all "worth it", there you go. I treasure the warm thoughts and love expressed by my family, and Sami, I imagine you just made your mom's day, week, month, and possibly, year. :)
I think I'll print that, and look at it EVERYDAY! Very good advice, It's hard not to feel like you need to be perfect!
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