My mom has been my hero my entire life! When I was very little, I wanted to be with her all the time. When we went somewhere, I always wanted to hold her hand. I was so terribly shy and I felt very safe and secure being with my mom.
I remember how hard it was to even go to school. I just wanted to be home with my mom. I know that my sister Carolyn felt the same way- having major butterflies in our stomachs at the beginning of every school year.
I was always so amazed at how my mom was so confident and able to talk to people in all kinds of situations, such as with strangers in stores, doctors' offices, or anywhere we went. As I got older, I wanted to be more confident like my mom. In high school I tried really hard to be more outgoing and I decided to act confident, even though I wasn't, by smiling at people. I remember walking down the halls between classes with a smile on my face most of the time. It's funny that now, many years later, I read the writing of people in my yearbook and many mentioned how they liked seeing my smiling face at school!
I also discovered that acting confident actually makes a person feel more self-assured. I've definitely come a long way from that very shy, insecure young girl that I was. If someone had told me back then that I would someday be a Relief Society president, Primary president, Young Women's president, teach classes, and have my own business, I don't think I would have believed them!
My mom has had such a great influence on me in so many ways besides helping me feel more confident. She taught me how to cook, knit, sew, crochet, clean, organize, keep files, teach lessons, give talks, take care of children, do all kinds of crafts, and the list could go on and on. I feel like she taught me every important thing I know! I remember being very young one summer when mom had to spend a lot of time in bed for health reasons. I would walk back and forth from her bedroom to the kitchen getting instructions on how to cook things for the family like macaroni and cheese. That's how I learned to cook.
Mom even got me started on using rubber stamps, which I love. In the late 1980's mom showed me some rubber stamps she had bought. I told her they were cute and asked what you do with them. Well, I figured out quickly, loved using them, and started collecting them. Soon after that I learned how they were made and started my own business making and selling rubber stamps under the name Rubber Stamp Emporium. It was a great home business money-maker all through the 1990's and I have my mom to thank for that.
One of the major things I've learned from my mom is to have a thirst for knowledge. As long as I can remember, my mom has been taking classes to learn all kinds of things and has also been a constant reader learning everything from crafts and painting to writing, history, and archeology. She even ended up helping dig for dinosaur bones here in the Salt Lake valley and up in Idaho. We always said she should go on a television game show because she has so much knowledge about so many different subjects! I have loved reading ever since I learned how to read! I definitely got that from my mom!
And most importantly, my mom also helped me have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I remember many, many times seeing her sitting at the kitchen table with books and papers in front of her, preparing for her Relief Society lessons which she taught for many years. Quite often, I sat at the table with her and she would read me little stories and information from her lessons. She would get very emotional and I could feel the Spirit with her, which also became very strong and a great help in my own life.
Yes, my mom, Janet Meriam Holding Ridd, has been my hero my whole life and continues to be a huge inspiration to me. I love her so very much and feel very blessed to have been born to such a wonderful mother.
I remember how hard it was to even go to school. I just wanted to be home with my mom. I know that my sister Carolyn felt the same way- having major butterflies in our stomachs at the beginning of every school year.
I was always so amazed at how my mom was so confident and able to talk to people in all kinds of situations, such as with strangers in stores, doctors' offices, or anywhere we went. As I got older, I wanted to be more confident like my mom. In high school I tried really hard to be more outgoing and I decided to act confident, even though I wasn't, by smiling at people. I remember walking down the halls between classes with a smile on my face most of the time. It's funny that now, many years later, I read the writing of people in my yearbook and many mentioned how they liked seeing my smiling face at school!
I also discovered that acting confident actually makes a person feel more self-assured. I've definitely come a long way from that very shy, insecure young girl that I was. If someone had told me back then that I would someday be a Relief Society president, Primary president, Young Women's president, teach classes, and have my own business, I don't think I would have believed them!
My mom has had such a great influence on me in so many ways besides helping me feel more confident. She taught me how to cook, knit, sew, crochet, clean, organize, keep files, teach lessons, give talks, take care of children, do all kinds of crafts, and the list could go on and on. I feel like she taught me every important thing I know! I remember being very young one summer when mom had to spend a lot of time in bed for health reasons. I would walk back and forth from her bedroom to the kitchen getting instructions on how to cook things for the family like macaroni and cheese. That's how I learned to cook.
Mom even got me started on using rubber stamps, which I love. In the late 1980's mom showed me some rubber stamps she had bought. I told her they were cute and asked what you do with them. Well, I figured out quickly, loved using them, and started collecting them. Soon after that I learned how they were made and started my own business making and selling rubber stamps under the name Rubber Stamp Emporium. It was a great home business money-maker all through the 1990's and I have my mom to thank for that.
One of the major things I've learned from my mom is to have a thirst for knowledge. As long as I can remember, my mom has been taking classes to learn all kinds of things and has also been a constant reader learning everything from crafts and painting to writing, history, and archeology. She even ended up helping dig for dinosaur bones here in the Salt Lake valley and up in Idaho. We always said she should go on a television game show because she has so much knowledge about so many different subjects! I have loved reading ever since I learned how to read! I definitely got that from my mom!
And most importantly, my mom also helped me have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I remember many, many times seeing her sitting at the kitchen table with books and papers in front of her, preparing for her Relief Society lessons which she taught for many years. Quite often, I sat at the table with her and she would read me little stories and information from her lessons. She would get very emotional and I could feel the Spirit with her, which also became very strong and a great help in my own life.
Yes, my mom, Janet Meriam Holding Ridd, has been my hero my whole life and continues to be a huge inspiration to me. I love her so very much and feel very blessed to have been born to such a wonderful mother.
That was a beautiful tribute. As I was reading it I reflected on my own talented Mother. They were so similar. Definetly a rare breed. Wish I was more like my Mom. She could do it all and then some. Thanks for sharing. XO HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND! Sharon
ReplyDeleteThat is a great tribute to your mom. Thanks for sharing that. I need to think of the great qualities my own mother has---and let her know about them. ;)
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