My mom is a soft place to land. As an infant and up until I was too big, I sat in her lap and was held in her arms as she gently rocked in her rocking chair. Once I became too big to sit on her lap, I would lay my head in her lap and watch TV. Sitting in my mom’s lap made me feel secure. I think rocking made her feel secure too. In fact, my mom constantly rocks—sometimes it is in a rocking chair, sometimes it is just her feet, but a lot of the the time it is her head. Mom is a head bobber. She does this especially in the car singing to music.

I was never embarrassed about her singing and bobbing in the car until I became an high school student and she would do it when she was driving my friends around and when it was our turn to carpool to seminary. One morning she was doing her traditional head bobbing to “The Sundays” and my friend said to me “you have the coolest mom. “ I thought she might be joking but she wasn't. My friend's own mother was suffering from MS and she would give anything to have her mom be able to bob her head and sing to her music. I felt really grateful for my mom, head bobbing and all. Indeed, I have the coolest mom.

There were a few times during that carpool to seminary that my mom ran out of gas. My friends and I had to hop out and foot it to the chapel. And even though that was embarrassing for me, it probably was much more embarrassing for my mom who was wearing her nightgown at the time. My mom and driving is a subject that could be talked about for a long time. She must have angels watching over her because of all the near misses. Most were probably due to her talking on the phone with one hand, thumbing through her day-planner with the other hand, and when the car was about to careen into another vehicle, an angel took the wheel. But despite that, she has an amazing sense of direction and hardly ever gets lost.

My mom never sweats the small stuff. She never cries over "spilt milk". This is an attribute I wish I inherited and am trying to develop. Once she had just finished baking a cake that she needed for an activity that was about to begin. Trying to be helpful, I took the cake out of the oven but it was too heavy and I dropped the whole thing upside down on the floor. My mom looked up from the table where she was working and said kindly, without a hint of frustration, “Well, I guess you’ll have to make a new cake.” So I did. I felt so grateful for her response and have thought about it often especially when I sweat the small stuff.

Speaking of food, there was a time in our lives when it was scarce and times were tough for mom. She was basically a single mom supporting seven kids. We got help from the church and I remember feeling so ashamed that I didn’t want friends to come over for fear that they'd look in our cupboards. One Sunday dinner, several of us were complaining about "why we have to have that food" and that "it is so embarrassing". We went on and on expressing our dislike of our situation. My mom listened but then she taught us. She told us to look at all food on the table, the food we were eating while we were complaining. She said everything had been given to us by the church and if it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t have anything to eat. We would be hungry. She told us to be thankful. I felt ashamed for complaining. She taught me to be humble and grateful because she was. Sometimes it is our turn to give and sometimes it is our turn to receive. I think it is by far harder to receive and my mom learned to do it gracefully even though it was difficult.

But my mom is also an amazing example of giving. She seems ready at the drop of a hat to serve someone. I watched her bring meals to people and serve in the Relief Society in numberless ways. Sometimes she tries to fit everyone and everything into her schedule even when there was no possible way. I think she wants to be there for everyone. This led to sometimes being picked up late, or, as was my experience, being forgotten all together. I’d wait out in front of the high school after volleyball or basketball practice for a really really really really long time. I’d be fuming by the I saw the car coming into the parking lot, but it would melt away as soon as I opened the car door. I could never stay angry at my mom. I had been forgotten, but she finally remembered.

My mom feels for the under dog. She always has. If I was the underdog, then that was good, but it usually went that if I was having a problem with someone, maybe at school, I would have to count on hearing about why the other person might have done what they did. She'd stick up for them! Maybe she felt that they needed representation or that I needed to learn something. This has been to my husband’s benefit because if ever I went to her to complain, I could count on her sticking up for him.

But, my mom wasn’t too hard on us either. I don’t remember ever being spanked- something I haven’t been as successful at. I do remember her threatening to never ever, ever! take us kids to the store or the mall or the movies or on errands again! because of our behavior. We weren’t fooled though. We knew that we were her life and joy. She showed this in the way she exercised undying patience and tolerance and the way she nurtured us. I have never once doubted her love and as a parent, I have been awed by those qualities that she has that don’t come as natural to me.

I think her willingness to help everyone and try to fit everything in led her to many late nights. Late nights sewing. Always sewing. Trying to finish something she fit into her crazy schedule. She is so creative. She made me homemade dresses, homecoming and prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses, my daughter’s blessing dress and clothes for her dolls. She is crafty and paints amazingly. Her talents are many. She also possesses spiritual strength and determination. She has passed through many trials and challenges, including the death of two sons, divorces, and working to support several hungry teenagers and she’s still strong and vibrant in her testimony. I have looked up to her, I have loved her and she will always be a soft place to land. I wish I wasn't too big to sit on her lap in her rocking chair.

Happy 60th Birthday!