Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there who are so privileged and to all of us who have ever been blessed with a mother. I have been thinking a lot about my own mother, Marilyn, pictured here on her wedding day. I realize that my mother gave up a lot of her dreams in order to be a wife and mother to eight (eight!) children. One in particular was her desire to have a room full of books, a library with every surface covered in shelving from floor to ceiling. My father did build two floor to ceiling bookcases in our family room many years ago and it was indeed covered with books, (still is) but I doubt that really did it for her. I know that I have sacrificed many of the things that I have always wanted in order to attempt to meet the needs of my family. It is what a mom does, but that doesn't make it any easier or no less worthy of appreciation. I appreciate all that my mother sacrificed to raise eight children to be responsible, gospel-loving people.

One of the things she always wanted to do was to write a book. Now that I am to have a book published, a dream of mine since I was seven years old and one that I had entirely given up on for a good many years because of the heavy demands of being a mother, I feel sad for her that she won't see that dream fulfilled for herself. And then I think of my own daughter, Mary, and how she has always been a teller of stories since before she knew of my inclinations, and how happy and excited I would be for her to have her own stories published. It would be just as good as doing it myself. And that is how I know what my book really means to my own mom. She was the one who encouraged me so long ago, with the selfless love of a mother. I love you Mom!