#52 Stories--Story # 33

Who are some other important mother figures who have been influential in your life?

I feel like I was very lucky to have many women who modeled wonderful examples of womanhood and motherhood to me as I was growing up.  I'm luckier yet to call them my friends now.

I had a spattering of marvelous young women leaders--Irene Day, Diane Sefton, Toni Zamarron, Cindy Anderson, Sister Nordstrom, Lucia Cooper, and others--I'm sure more names will come to me as the days go by this month.  I spent many weeks of girls camps, Wednesday activities, and Sundays being guided by these wonderful ladies. They showed me how to be a woman of faith, a woman who trusts her Heavenly Father, who knows Jesus Christ and chooses to follow Him. They helped me develop a testimony of my own.  I'd have to include my mom in this group too, because she spent much of these years with me in some supportive role.  She's the best example of all.

I also had some wonderful teachers elsewhere in my life.  Stacy Thacker was a stand out Sunday School teacher as a young teen.  I knew that she knew the Gospel was true and she tried her hardest each week to get us to understand that same truth. 

Teddy Goodrich and Nancy Serigstad were female high school teachers that meant a lot to me. I learned more than just textbook material from them. They made me want to be a teacher someday.

I also had some neighbors and 4H leaders that showed me leaderships styles in the community and wider world. MaryLou Rawitser was our goat leader.  I'm sure she had better things to do with her time, but she was there with us each weekend the goats were showed.  Georgene Abbott was another 4H leader who taught me perseverance and stick-to-it-ive-ness.  Diane Scariot showed me another view of hard work and care of family. Kathy Larsen was a mom who had fun with her family and supported her girls in whatever they had going on.

Then I had a group of women who were friends' moms--who I maybe didn't have the same kind of relationship as their child, but I felt keenly their love for me.  Shari Hoggan, Jan Porter, Diane Sefton and Irene Day--fell in this category too, and Claudia Kambish, to name a few off the top of my head.  I knew they loved their kids--and counted me in that group more often than not.

I have been greatly blessed by so many wonderful women as I was growing up.  I am not sure they all understand how important and valuable they are to me.  I hope I have done my best to make them proud of me and that my own kids will have women just like them in their lives to teach them similar lessons.