More Moms the Merrier

A Mom is a very important person to me. I do not use the title Mom lightly.  A Mom is someone that I will always love unconditionally. A Mom will always be there for me when I need her.  A Mom is someone I respect and someone I trust with my deepest feelings and thoughts. Mom is someone that I will always defend and honor. A Mom is one of the most important people in my life.

Karalee

 I have quite a few people that I call Mom. The first mom I ever knew was Karalee. She is my birth mom. I did not know her for long because she died when i was about one and a half years old. From what I have heard, she was a very kind and devoted mother.  Her children were everything to her. She was also very thoughtful and generous. I am sure that if she had remained here on this earth that she would have been a wonderful life long mother. But Heavenly Father apparently needed her more than me and my brothers, so she joined Him. 

Cathleen

Not too long after the death of Karalee I was blessed with my lovely mother who raised me, fed me, clothed me, saw me at my worst and saw me at my best. Cathleen has been my Mom since I was 2 years old. She taught me how to be an independent and hard working young woman. She is a huge reason that I turned out to be who I am today. She has helped me through every struggle that I have had in my life. And I truly believe that she was always meant to be my mother. Her life experiences and trials have helped me through mine. I have a HUGE respect for my mother and I love her for who she is. She did an amazing job bringing me up as a lady and teaching me right from wrong. And when I have faltered she has never been judgmental, she simply holds out a supportive hand to steady me, get me back on my feet, and gently rebuild me into who she knows i am. My Mom is the best at giving advice. I know that if I ask her a question she will always have a wise unbiased answer. I love my Mother.

Jan

 When I was 20 I was fortunate to receive yet another Mom that would become someone very special in my life. Her name is Jan. Jan and I have know each other since I was 16 years old. I always found that Jan was so incredibly easy to talk to. And I always felt like her and I had a lot in common. I have spent countless hours at the foot of her bed talking to her about various subjects and helping her with random projects. Through these many hours I grew close to her and created a bond with her that I can not bare to ever break despite the relationship that me and her son might have. This is part of why she is such an amazing mom. Because even though I am not technically her daughter in law anymore she still treats me like her daughter in law. And for this i am very thankful, because if she hadn't It would have broken my heart yet again. On top of all this she is so incredibly kind, loving, strong and forgiving. I look up to her.

Diane

And finally not too long ago I met my fourth and final Mom, Diane.  Diane became my Mom in 2010. And she took the roll seriously from the start without skipping a beat. She held out her arms to me and took me in as if I had been her daughter all along and as if my kids had been her grand kids from the start. She has no idea how much that meant to me. Diane is always willing to drop everything and help out in any way that she can. She is one of the most selfless people that I know always putting her family and friends above herself. I can see now where Curtis gets his willingness to serve and his dependability. If I ever get stressed or sad Diane will show up at my door with an offer to go to lunch, flowers, or just to talk. She has a huge heart and wants everyone to be happy. I feel very lucky to have Diane as my mother in law and I only hope that I will be as supportive to my kids as they grow up as she is supportive to my little family.

Now that I am a mother to 4 amazing kids, I realize everything that a mother goes through. I realize that it is not easy to be a mother. I realize that it is not easy to give up your life to raise children. I realize how painful it is to watch your children hurt or fail. I realize how exhausting it is to always be there to lend a helping hand. I realize that my Moms have made the largest impact on my life more than any other individuals. Karalee, Cathleen, Jan, and Diane, thank you for being my Mom.