On the day I was born, I met my “first” best friend. In fact it is because of her I learned how to be a friend. From that day on she has been there, always supportive, always listening, teaching and consoling. I have so many memories of her sitting at the foot of my bed while I told her sometimes through tears of the challenge I was facing. I’d say “why doesn’t Heavenly Father make things better?” She would say, “Don’t counsel the Lord. Just let Him tell your heart you are loved and you can do this”. She showed me how to live by example, and at the same time, she trusted my abilities and allowed me to be me, and most important, always loving me.

She taught me to love and serve Heavenly Father. As a student of the scriptures, I’ve never doubted her belief in God, our Savior, and the Still Small Voice. She has taught me to choose happiness even when I feel sad, often saying “It is What it is,” which I never cared for, but the truth is, you have to accept “what is” before you can move on and let go. She taught me to not let others’ actions keep me down, “when someone mistreats you, that’s their problem, not yours”. She taught me to be responsible for my own life, to think about how others feel, not judge, but love them, she’d say, “We don’t know what others have been through when they’re not with us. And then quote the old indian proverb -Never judge a man till you’ve walked a mile in his moccasins” She’d say, “Just believe, “They’re doing the best they can.” and look for the good in everyone.

I know that she loves our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ and believes in the Holy Ghost. She lives the gospel. I have watched her give countless hours in sharing her knowledge of the gospel and of family history. She has spent the time it takes to know, and then share that knowledge with others. That is amazing to me. Some people learn and never share. She is a gifted teacher, and has continued to share with others what she has learned. Her lifetime of learning both in the school of life and formal education has taught me that learning never ends, and for Mama teaching never ends. She made arrangements years ago to donate her body to the UofU after her death. She’s say, “I won’t need it anymore.” While talking to the assistant manager at the UofU Body donor Services, and telling him what a wonderful and special Mama I have, and how she has always been a teacher. He said, “I love that, because she will continue to teach. In fact I’ll go on to say she will be teaching at the collegiate level”.  Mama, Your gift is amazing to me.

The years of service she has given our family are a testimony of her devotion. She has kept us a close knit family by providing a well-balanced meal for years on Sunday. When Brett and I were a young married couple, it was the best meal we had all week. And now even though the “weekly” Sunday dinner doesn’t happen, our family still sees more of each other than most families, by spending time together often. We are all very strong personalities, but we love and respect each other, because she and Daddy have taught us to love and respect each other.

She loves our children and grandchildren, and has told them how important they are to her. They always feel so important after getting hugs and kisses from her, and having her whisper in their ear how much she loves them, often telling them -they are her favorite, they are all her favorite. She is a wonderful Gramma, and Great-Gramma.

As I have become a mom and a grandma, I have become even more aware of the sacrifices and time involved in loving and caring for a family. It makes me more in awe of all she has accomplished in her life, while raising a family, and I am so thankful for her example and all she has taught me. I’m so thankful for the many times I called with questions and received just the right answer to what I needed to know. Her knowledge is such a blessing to me.

I am so thankful that Heavenly Father blessed me to come to live with my Mama and Daddy. He knew that they were just what I would need to help me make it through this life. She and Daddy are both wonderful and such great examples of a loving married couple, and I’m so thankful for that. I am so blessed to have Mama, for 62 + years. So thankful to Mama for her bravery and her endurance this past year in bearing the health challenges she has faced with faith and acceptance, and an eternal perspective!

Since Daddy passed on, I would check on Mama often. Calling, grocery shopping and being her chauffeur to wherever she needed to go. Our arrangement at night was that she would call at 10:00 pm to check in and say good night. Most nights she’d say, “I’m going to get two chocolates and read till I’m ready for bed.” Dove’s dark chocolate is Mama’s special treat while reading.

My Mama is a human Honey Bee- “Bees never forget that they are part of something bigger than themselves… their hive is a part of them

And they symbolize what every human craves – a sense of purpose about our existence, and the hive, and our connectedness to each other

Honeybees, by instinct, spend their life pollinating, gathering nectar, and condensing that nectar into honey. bees must collectively visit millions of flowers and travel the equivalent of two times around the world. Over its short lifetime of just a few weeks to four months, a single honeybee’s contribution of honey to its hive is a mere one-twelfth of one teaspoon,” Giving their all until they have no more to give.

I know she will continue to be the best ever, because she will always be the most “super“ example, teacher, doer, writer, preparer, motivator, and Mama for eternity.

I love you, my Mama, my “best” friend.