1. my looks.
i can't deny the fact that i look like my momma. when i was younger, i wanted to "just look like myself." but now, there isn't anyone else in the world that i'd rather look like! (by default i also look like my sisters and that too is a great compliment!)
2. my strong-will.
my momma is very strong-willed. there isn't anything that she hasn't put her mind to and accomplished. for example: my mom decided that before she died she wanted to run a marathon. (why? i'm not really sure) but run a marathon she did. and although i'll never run a marathon on purpose in this life, i have other goals and accomplishments that i will accomplish before i die. just like my momma.
3. my desire to serve a mission.
although both of my parents served missions, the fact that my mom served a mission helped me understand that girls can serve missions out of desire and love for the gospel and not just because they "didn't get married" or "didn't have anything else to do." my mom's mission helped me understand that everyone is a missionary and those that have the desire to serve are called to the work. i'm grateful for my mom's example of missionary service, because i don't know that i would have been brave enough to go on my own mission without being able to follow in the footsteps of my mom. also, i learned from my mom that it's super okay to marry someone from your mission. however, she did also tell me the importance of being a missionary while having the calling of a missionary. and that part of being a missionary was to learn to control my feelings... but that's another story for another time.
4. my cleanliness.
my family will think this is a joke because i was given the lovely nickname, "girl with many stuffs on her bed" when i was younger because my bed/room was always a mess. i distinctly remember my sister crying when she found out she had to share a room with me because i was such a mess maker. ... and well, i still make messes. BUT i have found an odd sense of peace and satisfaction with cleaning as well. i try to make sure my little home is spotless when company comes over-- not because i'm embarrassed to live where i live (i actually adore our apartment. probably more than i should), but because stuff can be overwhelming at times. my mom has always been known for her meticulous cleaning-- well at least to me. i can remember more times than once having to clean my room before going out to play and telling my mom that i was finished; she would then ask, "is it your clean or my clean?" and then i would turn around and go clean it to my mom's standards.
5. my athleticism.
again, both of my parents have this trait, but for the sake of this post.... like i said earlier, my mom ran a marathon. that is not the type of athleticism i am talking about here. (i feel like i should also mention that my mom told me after she ran her marathon that she was ready to die of obesity after that... she didn't have anymore weird health goals left. however, my mom won't die of obesity because she's just too darn active) but anyway, my goal in life is to be able to do what my mom did when i asked her the logistics of how to do a round-off; she took me out back and showed me, by doing one herself. SO i've determined to keep up the important athletic skills in my bag of tricks: round-offs, cart-wheels, back-flips on the trampoline, penguin dives off the side of a pool, 360 on the knee-board, etc. THE IMPORTANT TRICKS. but all jokes aside, i hope that i can just stay as active and fun as my mom has. because i honestly don't think i could ever stop going-- and i definitely got that from my momma.
i've been blessed with a great mom. i've learned so much from her over the years and i'm grateful for her example and love. even though this post was a little silly, there are things that i have learned from my mom that i wouldn't trade for the world. so thanks Momma. and--
Happy Mother's Day Mom!