Our Own Sweet Caroline

One of my favorite things about my mother has always been her name.  It is old-fashioned, yet chic at the same time; a classy name that sets her apart from the crowd. Unique and yet familiar.

Her life began in a tiny town in southeastern Idaho, a tomboy that grew up on a horse, who then began leading cheers for the Bancroft Cowboys and reigning as Rodeo Queen.  That small town girl has since become a world traveler, collecting friends and silver spoons, and leaving a trail of friendship wherever she goes. 

She caught the eye of a football star from Soda Springs, and two beautiful people began their life together.

Four daughters and one son rounded out their family, and Caroline devoted her energy and enthusiasm to providing fun and adventure and security and love.  Her efforts in making a happy home were rewarded with children that are devoted to their lovely mother.

Not afraid to tackle any challenge that came along, she maintained the status as the mother that could do anything.  She still holds that honor.

I feel so blessed to call you Mother.  You have taught me about life and love and motherhood.  You have taught me about service and kindness and excellence.

Thank you.  With all my heart.

Happy Mothers Day.

Happy Birthday, Mother

When I was a kid I loved having my mother come to school for various volunteer activities.  She had a fun personality, and I thought she was so beautiful.  I was very proud of my mother.

I am still very proud of my mother.  She is one of those people who becomes the life of the party wherever she is.  She has the ability to draw others toward her with her contagious smile and genuine caring spirit.

My mother taught me to cook, to sew, to play the piano, to garden, to clean.  She taught me how to love, how to serve, and how to be faithful.  She has always set an example of kindness, respect, and consideration for others' feelings.

I wish I was athletic like my mother.  I wish I was more at ease with people I don't know, like my mother.  I wish I had been a rodeo queen like my mother....

Have a great day, Mom!  I wish I was there to bake you a cake.

All together again

We did it!  We celebrated my parents 50th anniversary and it was delightful.  There was an abundance of great food, great talent, and especially great friends and family.  I am so honored to be apart of a loving family.  I value them all.

The Music of Life

Yesterday an old friend of mine from high school posted something on Facebook.  I thought about it during the day, and even as I was lying in bed last night.  It is this:  "God determines who walks into your life... It's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go!"

There is such truth in every facet of this.  I like to think that the people we meet along the way are purposeful, that they are in our path to impact us in some way.  But the choice is ours as to the level of their impact.  Who will have a lasting effect on us?  Who will we treat indifferently?  Who will we cling to, not wanting to lose their influence?

A while back I tried to quit Facebook.  I found that it was taking up too much of my time, and I have other projects I want to focus on.  So I thought I could just walk away from my little circle of friends, so painstakingly established, that God has allowed to enter into my life again.  There are Lisa and Joanie and Michele; my little friends that walked to kindergarten with me, that shared some of the best slumber parties of my life.  There are Bryn and Mark and Larry; my friends from junior high, that pivotal time of discovery in one's life.  There are Toni and Jim and Maili from high school, who were my greatest support system then and have continued to keep in touch with me throughout the years.

I have been so blessed by the people I call my friends.  They are like a lovely melody that accompanies my life, a recurring refrain that lifts me, that energizes me, that inspires me.

I have also been thinking about the depth of love we feel for those that come into our lives that we refuse to let go, that we stick with through difficult times, that we continually draw strength from.  I am so blessed to have parents who have felt like this about one another.  Today marks 50 years that my parents have been married, have stood side by side, have refused to let go.

I feel like their influence has been the most pivotal of my life.  Because of their teaching, their example, their unconditional love, I too have learned how to cling to that which is most valuable, most important, most critical to my happiness. 

Life is never an easy road, free of bumps and pot holes.  But as we choose to surround ourselves with people who love us, determined to stick by them throughout even the greatest obstacles, then the music of our life enriches to its fullest sound, replete with a solid string section to lay the foundation, a bold group of brass to herald the triumphant moments, percussion to keep us on track, and the finishing touches of the winds to beautify and add unexpected highlights.

I love you, Mom and Dad.  I count you among my greatest blessings.  I am thankful you are together today.  I know that life isn't easy right now, but in your trials you are teaching the following generations how to love, how to serve, how to remain faithful.  Priceless lessons in an uncertain world.

Happy Anniversary!  And next weekend, we are going to throw you the party of the century.

Milestones

I think it is interesting how much weight we ascribe to milestones.  We look to certain events and deem them of such importance; more important even than just regular days.

Today is my father's birthday.  Because of recent threats to his health, I feel doubly blessed that we are celebrating this milestone with him today.  He is not home yet, but is regaining his strength in a rehab center so that he will be prepared for another important milestone; he and my mother are celebrating 50 years of marriage this month. 

While birthdays and anniversaries and weddings are all important days in our lives, I have decided to value every day of life as a milestone, one in which we should celebrate and be grateful for the abundance of blessings we have received.  I am thankful for my dad.  I am thankful for the rich legacy I have received from him.  I am thankful for an inquiring mind, never satisfied with the status quo, anxious to learn and try new things.

I am thankful for you today on your birthday, and I am thankful for you tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, and the next...

My Most Faithful Reader...

will  probably not be reading this today.  My most faithful reader has been one of my main sources of encouragement my whole life.  My most faithful reader has always motivated me to explore the recesses of my mind and think deep thoughts and find ways of expressing them.  My most faithful reader is my dad.

Today he is in the hospital, and the fact that he is being cranky with the nurses is our biggest indicator that maybe he is going to be all right and pull through this.  I hope so.  Sorry, nurses, but even you will grow to love this grumpy old cuss as the rest of us do.  He may not be the best at expressing it, but his reservoir of love is boundless; the pride he has in his family is his greatest wealth.

One of my main motivators for updating my blog so frequently is because of my dad.  I know his routine.  Every morning he opens his computer to check the status of his stocks, then he checks in on Ardith's Quest to see what I have been thinking about.  I think I have become of one his main sources of entertainment, and I hate to think of him checking in only to find yesterday's effort.  My whole life I have felt that he values what I have to say.  He may not be great in large social situations, but nothing beats a one-on-one conversation with my dad.  He has always made me feel like I could contribute to the most profound, philosophical discussions.  I don't know why.  But it was one of his gifts, his ability to encourage thought, to encourage exploration and discovery of new ideas.

Thanks, Dad.  I know that soon you will be back to your old routine.  So I will carry on as you would have me do; I will continue updating so that you will have plenty to entertain you when you get back home again.

New Territory

My parents used to own a big, fancy motor home that they set out to explore the country in. I was always fascinated by the adhesive map posted on its side that showed all the different states they had visited.  It was truly remarkable the miles they had covered, especially considering the method they chose to cover those miles.  I am not that patient.  I find a day spent traversing the country in an airplane to be painful and challenging; I can't imagine a road trip which requires exponentially more time sitting in a cramped position. That doesn't mean I don't share their desire to explore and discover.  And I, too, love "coloring in" the places I have seen.

This past week I was able to cover some new territory, which is always a thrill.  We spent a couple days in Atlanta, Georgia at a textiles industry trade show.  In the past, the extent of our Atlanta experience had been reserved to time spent in the airport, which I think doesn't really count, so it was nice to get out and really put our feet on some Georgia soil.  We had a great time.  One of the highlights for me was seeing the stunning Georgia Aquarium.

This may be the best aquarium I have ever seen.  I would love to go there again someday, sharing it with my children and grandchildren.

After our time in Atlanta, we flew north to Boston, Massachusetts, again having the opportunity to see new country for both of us.  Boston held back none of its charms.  It was beautiful, and the weather couldn't have been more delightful.

Our lovely hotel, The Lenox, on the corner of Exeter and Boylston, was the perfect location to explore the city on foot, within easy walking distance to Fenway Park where we saw the Red Sox play, Symphony Hall where we saw the Boston Pops play, and the Boston Common, where we saw the rest of Boston play.  I could easily spend a week in the Boston area and never run out of interesting and spectacular attractions.  So not only is Boston now checked off my list of places to see, it is now on a new list:  the Places to which I must return.

Are You a Good Guesser?

When someone hands you a gift, and says, "Guess what it is!", they REALLY don't want you to guess correctly.  They are so certain that their gift is so well considered and planned that it surely will be the ultimate delight and surprise.  They are certain you could never guess what they have so carefully prepared.

I remember one such occasion many years ago on Mothers Day.  I was probably nine or ten, had carefully taken my budget of one dollar into town on my bike in Cedar City.  I carefully considered the perfect gift for my beautiful mother.  I remember walking up and down the displays at a handful of stores, and then as though a light came on, I discovered the perfect gift that was within my limited means.  I put my treasure in my bike's basket and rode home, convinced I had purchased something which would delight and surprise my mother.  I found a box, wrapped it, and hid it away for the big day.

With great pride, I presented it to my mom, confident that in its uniqueness, it was the perfect surprise.  So, of course, I challenged her to guess what it was.  She carefully shook the box, evaluated the weight, and finding it to be as light as a feather, she guessed the most random thing she could think of:  "A feather duster!"  she guessed. 

"Who told you?!!!"  I was crushed.  I knew that someone must have divulged my grand secret, because who could possibly have ever guessed such an unusual gift?  My mother genuinely felt terrible for her random, yet correct guess because she could tell I had been so excited about my surprise.  You see, that is how mothers are.  They recognize the importance of seemingly small things to their children.  Mother's eyes have a way of seeing straight into their children's hearts.  It is one of the blessings of being a mother, to have this unparalleled gift of understanding. 

Mothers can recognize frustration.  They recognize disappointment.  They recognize subterfuge.  In their young children's eyes they may appear to be all-knowing and all-seeing.  And it makes them very good guessers.

I would like to honor the woman who still understands me better than almost anyone, my adorable mother.  She can look into my heart and see my joy.  I hope she can also see the pride I have in calling her my own sweet mother.  Thank you for your patience and your unconditional love.

I hope you have a wonderful day, and feel the love of all those who call you "blessed".

Two Great Ladies, One Shared Birthday

Today is a special day.  It is the day to celebrate two amazing lives, lived by two of the most inspiring ladies that I know.  My mother, Caroline Wakeman, and my oldest sister, Wendy Peatross.

These two have set examples for me of unconditional love, self-sacrifice, obedience, faithfulness, and sometimes, just plain enduring to the end.

They are creative, and immensely talented.  They can take ordinary materials and transform them into beautiful and useful objects to bless the lives of their families and anyone that is in need.

They know the meaning of charity and it directs their lives.  I don't know how many hours have been spent in quiet service, always behind the scenes, never in any showy way, but just to follow the admonition of the Savior to be a friend to the "least of these".

My life has been blessed by these two women.  Thank you for your love and patience with me, but mostly for your example.