SELFLESS LOVE

I think there comes a time in every young man's life - when he has moved out,  is on his own, and he realizes how much he loves his mom. I don't think there is a way that you can't take your mother for granted when you live with her. She does so much for you that it is impossible to see all of the little things every single day. 

From the very start of it all mothers sacrifice so much for their children both physically and emotionally. Besides the obvious of being pregnant it is a huge change in a mothers life to now all of a sudden realize they have a child to take around! I have heard people say that it is hard to raise a toddler.... well I am sure it was a harrowing experience for my mother to raise me at all stages of life. 

Hopefully when I am a dad I don' have a child who is as crazy as myself.. but I am so grateful for my mom. Through thick and thin she was there for me the whole time. I definitely was not worthy of all of her love but nonetheless she gave it to me. 

I remember art projects,

trips to Savannah

talking on lonnnng car rides

her constant "help" in school ;)   (constantly checking on my grades which NOW I can say I am grateful for) 

knowing something was wrong even if I said everything was ok

home ec tips

instilling in me a love of reading

not only teaching me, but showing me by example to treat others with respect

always trying to get me to "walk a mile in someones shoes"

hearing me out

supporting me at virtually all of my extra curricular events

going to bat for me when I needed her

taking pictures

taking pictures & 

taking pictures

always encouraging me to be professional and mature

always "encouraging" me to write thank you notes.... 

second, third, and fourth chances

reassuring me that I won't be a failure in life...continually

and most importantly making sure that I follow my dreams no matter what.

Elder Jeffery R. Holland said in a talk given this October, 

"Today I declare from this pulpit what has been said here before: that no love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child. When Isaiah, speaking messianically, wanted to convey Jehovah’s love, he invoked the image of a mother’s devotion. “Can a woman forget her sucking child?” he asks. How absurd, he implies, though not as absurd as thinking Christ will ever forget us.⁷

This kind of resolute love “suffereth long, and is kind, … seeketh not her own, … but … beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”⁸ Most encouraging of all, such fidelity “never faileth.”⁹ “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed,” Jehovah said, “but my kindness shall not depart from thee.”¹⁰ So too say our mothers."

I wholeheartedly agree with Elder Holland, one of the most amazing facts about our Savior, Jesus Christ - is that he loves us even when we don't deserve it at all! My mom is the exact same. I can say that I definitely don't deserve all that my mother does for me continually each and every day but I am just so blessed to have her in my life.

I could probably write 100 letters filled with stories and memories of my mom & I, but I am a firm believer that the future is more important than the past. In that respect, the greatest gift I can give my mom is to live my life in a way that would make her proud (some grandkids would probably make her happy too). :-)

Love & hugs,

Elder Clancy