For
this Mother’s Day I wanted to put together a compilation of things that our
mothers had taught us. I have come to realize that the best we are or can be is
in large part due to the influence that our mothers have or had on our lives.
So I started with my grandmothers and had their children write “3 things I
learned from my mother” then I had my siblings do the same. Here is what was returned to me, enjoy…
My Memories of my
Mother, Hilda Case
I could
easily give more than 100 special qualities that my mother possessed. She was
(and is) an outstanding person. Here are three of the extraordinary qualities
she had:
- She was always a loving and understanding mother. She truly exemplified caring concern. She was always quick to compliment and encourage me to be the best I could be.
- My mother had an unusual love for good music. She encouraged all her children to love and appreciate good music and to share their musical talents.
- My mother was constantly trying to improve herself. Every week when we were returning home from sacrament meeting , she would invariably say, “Well, I learned another principle of the gospel I’ve got to work harder on.”
I could easily exhaust the
dictionary in my attempt to tell of the many wonderful talents and traits of my
mother. I wish everyone could have a mother as special as she it.
-Dwayne
Three things I learned from MOM!
- You can do anything you want too if you set your mind to it!
As a child the things that I could
focus on was Playing trucks in a sand pile. The things that were hard for me
was school and I frequently asked Mom to help and she would. Later in high
school I remember when I put off an assignment to the night before it was due,
how I pleaded with her to help with this outline of these chapters, she said
you put it off, you deal with it. The night was long but I got it done and I
learned that I could do it. As a sub in a Glines Ward softball game I hit a
double and didn’t strike out, up in the stands Mom shouting “you did it, you
did it, I knew you could”. Thru my life she has always been there to encourage
and support in all things that were good
2.
Don’t speak ill of anyone!
I remember when Mom was in the Primary
Presidency, and they had meetings at our house and they had to discuss the
problems of the Primary which involved the teachers and if the sisters started
saying things that were of a personal nature and not pertaining to primary, she
would just say we’re not going there. In conversations around the house if
anyone of us forgot the rules of “if it’s not nice don’t say it” Mom would
remind us “we don’t talk that way”. Mom
has always helped me to be better at keeping other peoples character in mind in
the process of life.
3. You are of worth to GOD no matter what
people say
When going to High School and living
in a two room log house I felt that people would think less of me. In grade
school I remember going to school in bib overalls because they were cheaper and
that’s what we could afford. But at home we had good books, music and a love to
be of service at church and to our neighbors,
a Mother that reminded us that we were of great worth to Heavenly
Father. In parenting I hope that we have let our children know that God loves
us and that we are of great worth to him.
I know that
God lives and that His son is our redeemer, Savior and that thru His atoning
sacrifice we can return to Him by repenting of our sins and keeping His
commandments.
Things I learned from
my Mother
Gerald "H" Case (Jerry) 10/21/14
Brent Case asked that I list for him 3 things I learned from
my mother. I appreciate his asking, and
I can do it but I'll have a hard time limiting it to just 3 since she was my
model and inspiration on so many things:
#1: The gospel of Jesus Christ is true and we
need to stay true to it.
Mom was the testimony I relied on till I was 20 years old,
and the inspiration to get my own testimony.
I knew that she knew and that got me through some tough times!! We didn't have much, but mom always served
the church (her fellow man & Christ) I remember her with the 11 year old
"Trekkers" and how she prepared them for scouting, and how anytime
you talk to someone who was age 6 to 16 in the 60's who was from Vernal, they
had been taught piano by Hilda Case. And
they loved her!! She truly loved that
which she served. I have never came
close to as stalwart as she was in her testimony, but I have that beacon of
belief/knowledge that beckons me on to stay true to the Gospel of Christ.
#2: If you love your
kids enough, you don't have to discipline harshly for great results:
One of the most vivid memories of disappointing anyone and
the strong positive influence that can be happened when I was a Junior in High
School. One Saturday night I had behaved
in a manner that was not consistent with what I had been taught, nor truly in
line with what I myself believed. I was
the proud owner of a 57 Chevy, that still 50 years later is how I am remembered
by my high school classmates. (Thanks
Lewis) Anyhow as my parents had gone to
church on that Sunday morning and I had been left alone at home. When I woke up several thoughts went through
my mind. What horrific punishment would
I receive because of my actions. My mind
first went to my 57 Chevy, I knew it was going to be gone for a period of time
despite the fact that I had paid for it myself.
Then several other punishments came to mind. I was so fearful, so humiliated and so upset
at the impending punishments. I walked
to a hill about a 1/2 mile from my home.
I thought, I prayed, I worried.
Finally on that little hill, I discovered an eternal truth. That truth was this. That no punishment was as difficult or
cumbersome, or painful, as the pain that I had knowing that I had disappointed
my mother. I walked back to the house to
face my punishment, but I had already endured the worst punishment of all. That was the knowledge that I had
disappointed my Angel of a mother. To
this day I can't remember what punishment was meted out, but I will never
forget the woeful feeling of knowing how much I had hurt my mother. In a small way, this has been the starting
point of me recognizing that I have a mother & father in heaven and an
elder brother, who too are disappointed when I have not lived worthy of the
blessings I have been given and the sacrifices they all made that possibly I
might be with them all again. And that
because of that Atonement, I can see and be with my entire family again and for
Eternity. Thanks mom for the best lesson
ever.
#3: Reading:
I remember mom introducing me to reading when I was 11 or
12. We had no TV and could not afford
movies, so reading was my window to the world.
She started me reading the book "My Name is Aram" (you should read it if you like humor) I
learned to love the stories of Aram, and mostly enjoyed sharing the humor with
mom as I read the book. We would laugh
together. I loved the book, the story,
and the connection with my mom. I knew I
was her favorite (not really but I did believe that as did my 4 siblings of
themselves. She had that power &
love)
Anyway when I was in the 7th or 8th grade I brought a book
home from school every day and read the book that night and took it back the
next day. Hence in my mind I read 7
books every week. (later I realized it
was only 6 because on Friday I only brought home one book) Anyhow I learned the power of the written
word, and though I don't read as much now, when I do start a book I usually
finish it the same day. Thanks mom!!
Lastly I want to say since I did not know Christ, my mom was
my example. I have since learned more of
my savior, but I am so thankful for a mother who was so good to teach me these
3 things and hundreds more, that have shaped all of the good things in my
life. The bad things I take full
responsibility for.
Mom I love and appreciate you. Looking forward to visiting with you again
and having a great laugh together over a shared thought or book, discussing the
beauty and depth of the gospel that I did not fully appreciate or understand in
the 33 years I spent with you, and apologizing for not being the son I should
have been.
Gerald "H" Case (Jerry)
Three Lessons I learned
from my Mother
I KNEW THAT OUR FAMILY AND EACH
FAMILY MEMBER WAS IMPORTANT. SHE TAUGHT
ME THAT LESSON AS I SAW HER AND DAD’S RESPECT FOR THE FAMILY UNIT AND THE IMPORTANCE
OF EACH FAMILY MEMBER. EVERY FAMILY
MEMBER PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLL AND IS OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE. IF THE FAMILY GOES
ON VACATION EVERYONE GOES ON VACATION. IF ONE MEMBER EATS
T-BONE STEAK, ALL MEMBERS EAT T-BONE STEAK. IN OTHER WORDS - NO ONE IS LEFT OUT.
SHE PREPARED IN ALL THINGS IN
HER LIFE. WE ALWAYS HAD FOOD STORAGE,
EXTRA SAVINGS IN THE BANK, MONEY TUCKED AWAY UNDER A DOLLIE FOR AN
EMERGANCY. WHEN SHE AND DAD WENT
SHOPPING OR NEEDED SUPPLIES THEY ALWAYS BOUGHT EXTRA. I KNOW SHE SAID EXTRA PRAYERS FOR HER FAMILY
AND ALWAYS WENT THE EXTRA MILE IN HELPING OTHERS. SHE WAS PREPARED IN THIS LIFE AND PREPARED
FOR THE NEXT LIFE TOO.
Three Lessons I learned
from my Mother
Belle Prince Wright
Mother’s Day May 16, 2015
By Shirley Ann Wright Case
She taught me about prayer.
When I was little she would sit on my bed and help me – as I kneeled
beside my bed - with my evening prayers.
She instilled in me that wonderful habit that has blessed me throughout
my life. I remember walking into to her
bedroom more than once and finding her on her knees in prayer. She led by example.
She taught me to face adversity and problems with grace, calm
and confidence knowing that the Lord was close by helping us through whatever
might come. I remember how gracious Mom
was, how kind, how thoughtful – when my Father had a stroke that led to his
death. When she heard Dad in trouble she
rushed to his side, gently kissed him and told him that help would be there
quickly. I watched as she organized
Dad’s funeral and comforted those around her.
She taught me that honey is more powerful than vinegar when
dealing with people. I remember as a
young girl the weekend arguments that Mom and Dad would have over Dad getting
his life in order so he could keep his promise to take his family to the
temple. Mother would try different
approaches and Dad would send her zingers than look past her to smile and wink
at us children as if it was all in good fun.
But I saw the hurt and the disappointment in my Mother’s beautiful blue
eyes and I knew, for her, it was not ‘all in good fun’. I saw my Mom use guilt, shame, nagging,
threats and finally kindness. When she
realized that my Dad had to make the changes and that no one else but he could
decide to do that, she stepped back and no longer bothered him. But every Sunday she would hang his pressed
suit, his shirt clean and starched, his tie to match on the closet frame and
have his shoes polished. It did not seem
like it took too long for Dad to make changes in his life and prepare himself
to take his wife and children to the St. George Temple. I still remember all of us being dressed in
white kneeling around the altar in the sealing room May 9, 1959. I was 15 years old and so proud of my father
and grateful to my Mother.
Mom was my best friend and confident. She was always willing to answer my questions
and her advice was always good and always positive. I still talk to her and often in my prayers I
ask Heavenly Father to let her know how much I love her and Dad. To tell them how blessed I feel to have them
for parents.
THREE THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY
MOTHER
By A. Don Wright
Mother’s day 2015
SHE TAUGHT BY EXAMPLE THE
IMPORTANCE OF HAVING UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR YOUR SPOUSE AND YOUR CHILDREN.
Three of the many lessons I learned
from my mother
By Bryan L Case
I have learned how to be
happy regardless of our circumstances. Mom is always grateful for the
abundance we and she has been blessed with even when the abundance wasn’t as
much as she would have liked. Her attitude about being happy shaped us children
into individuals who can see the good even during the bad. An optimism which is
contagious and her smile melts the troubles of the world away. I have always
thought you could smile without smiling and Mom is an example of that. Her
light blue eyes seem to always be smiling even when she is not. From her I have
learned you can show happiness and genuine love just through a look. As I think
of all our siblings this seems to have passed to each of us. I love the smiles
of my brothers and sisters. I think we all have great smiles and Mom was the
primary teacher.
Mom’s interest in
education was also an area where I had a great deal of pride. Her
willingness to teach always impressed me and with a good amount of pride I
would tell others that my Mom was a teacher. This may have been out of duty to
help the family but I think Mom loved to teach even with its
many challenges. Mentoring young minds, helping them learn and grow is a sacred
calling. One of the few things which transcends time and eternity. The gift of
teaching is a spiritual gift and teaching is a most noble endeavor. I have
always been proud that my Mom is a teacher.
There are many other
lessons we learned from Mom but the final one is dear to me. Mom and Dad
were always an example of a marriage that worked together to get things
done. Mom supported Dad in his dreams and they approached life as a team. I
remember Mom’s encouraging words to Dad and her support for the plans they had
set. I remember the conversations on the large decisions, like moving to
Downey, Idaho and even the smaller decision like when to turn on the pumps to
start watering, what and when to plant, budgets, and spiritual goals. Their
love for the gospel and commitment to family prayer, family scripture study,
Family Home Evening, and dedication to fulfilling callings and the gospel of
Jesus Christ always impressed me. Mom’s commitment to her marriage and our
family is a great example we are still following today.
Mom Thank you for your
example and love!
Three lessons I learned from my mother
Brent W Case 5/6/15
Be Happy; So many lessons are wrapped up into those two
words. All these lessons were what she taught, not only by her words but also
by the way she lived. This constant example was always backed up with verbal
lessons as well. I will always remember her up before the early morning light
as we kids laid in bed, singing to the furniture as she would open the curtains
and make her way through the house cleaning and straitening as she went. To me
she would always say things like “you control your attitude, good or bad” and
“when life gives you lemons make lemonade” or “life is what you make of it”.
But more than that she took the time to help a small boy understand just what
those words really meant and how I could apply them to my life. Best of all she
made me believe her, that is to say that I could, if I chose to, I could be
happy. Don’t get me wrong I have seen my mom sad, down, and disappointed, but
she was then and still is a person that strives to find the best in any
circumstances and “accentuate the positive”.
Blessed are the
peace makers; My mom is a peacemaker. What is a peacemaker? A person who brings about peace, especially by
reconciling adversaries. What does it take to be a “peacemaker”? To
start out with you’d need to be a little selfless, you would have to put the
happiness of others before yourself, and you have to let others lead even when
you know better.
Love; I
wanted to say “unconditional Love” but I think that tends to mean “I can do
anything I want, good or bad and its ok, you got my back”. That kind of love
seams to empower us to be fools I think. Anyone can have your back no matter
how stupid you act. But true love in my opinion is much deeper than that; it
says I love you enough not to let you have a free pass, to hold you to a higher
standard and teach you to be the best you that you can be, to set boundaries
and tell you no. That being said my mother was my safe place. I always knew
there was a place I was always loved. Even when I had done wrong or
disappointed her I never had to question her standing on her love for me. What a powerful thing that is! It gives you
the confidence to go out in this big ugly world and risk falling and even
failing knowing no matter what you will always have a safe place to come back
to.
Three of the many lessons I learned
from my mother
By Jolene
Case Ross
First
lesson: Always look for the good in your
life and you will find it. Mom taught by example to look for the good in
others and in every situation and you will find it. Give people the benefit of
doubt. Expect the good in others and they will rise to the occasion. Look for
the blessings in your life and you will see them more abundantly. Your
circumstances may not change, but your attitude will change everything. In
every situation where there is anger, grief or sorrow, she would teach us to
reflect, “Will it matter in a day, a month or a year? Then decide if it’s worth
the negative feelings it’s causing you.”
A positive attitude benefits you and everyone who is around you. Looking
for the good is a beneficial tool that helps us get through whatever comes our
way. Thanks mom for this lesson learned!
Second
lesson: Be of service to others, it makes you happy. I love hearing her
sing the words, “Because I have been given much, I too must give.” Even better
than hearing her sing the words, I love seeing her LIVE the words. Mom has
always been one to serve others. She has fulfilled her callings well, loving,
teaching, caring and leading. She has a sweet kindness that draws people to her
and helps them to feel comfortable and safe asking for her help and guidance. I
remember many afternoons coming home from high school and mom would be on the
phone with an elderly sister from the ward. She would spend hours talking to
her, taking her on errands and being the friend this lonely sister needed. (It
wasn’t that mom didn’t have enough going on in her life; she was serving as RS
president, still had 4 kids at home, and sometimes was busy holding down the
fort while dad was gone TDY.) Still, she made the time to reach out to those in
need. I was touch by mom and dad’s commitment to serve the Lord in full-time
missions in their stake and on the other side of the world. This example has
made me want to prepare to serve missions. Along with serving others, she has
helped me to come to understand the difference between serving someone and
doing a disservice to yourself. In my college years and early marriage (heck, I
still struggle with this concept), there were times that I was an easy target
for those who were able to solve their problems but I was the easiest solution
because I didn’t know how to say no. She helped me to understand that it is
okay to not be able to do everything others think I should because it makes
their life easier. (Before saying ‘yes’ to someone else, consider whether you
are saying ‘no’ to yourself, your family or your responsibilities.) This may
seem contradictory, but this has been an important lesson I have had to learn
and mom has helped me sort out the difference between the two and has always
been an example of erring on the side of serving even if it is only because it
is convenient for the one being served.
Third
lesson: Love being a mom, it’s the best
calling on earth! I have watched my mom enjoy being a mother my whole life!
She has loved the babies, the toddlers, the preschoolers, the young children,
she even loved the teenagers! I see her now, as all of her kids are adults,
loving being a mom who is friend and confidant to her grown children. In the
world today, it is easy to find mothers wishing away their children’s lives;
looking forward to the next stage and more independence from the demands of
being a parent. Not my mom! She embraced each stage and cherished each age. (It
kind of goes back to the first lesson she taught me, always look for the good
in your life and you will find it. She did that-even during the terrible twos
and the teenage years!) I learned from her to find joy in the journey and it
has been a lesson I have to revisit often as I find my children moving to the
next stages in life a lot sooner than I was prepared for. I love watching my
mom LOVE being a mom and all the ups and downs that go along with that eternal
calling.
Three of the many lessons I learned
from my mother
by Denise Case Harris 4-22-2015
1. I am good. I am eternal more than just one moment of stupidity
or bad judgment at my core I am good.
2. Look for the good. There is good and bad everywhere if you look
for the good you will find it and if you look for the bad you will find it. So
chose to find the good and then nourish it
3.
Bloom where you’re planted. Make wherever you end up a little brighter, a
little better. if you only have a loaf of bread sell half and buy a flower.
Three things I have learned from my mother.
By Darrin Case 5/7/15
1) I have learned how to love from my mom. She has always
exemplified how to have Christ like love. I see it when my kids are
around her and they have mentioned how much they know that she loves them.
2). She has taught me to care for others. Whenever I was sick as a
boy I know that my mother was there to take care of me. She always seemed
to know exactly what I needed and how to make me feel better.
3) Finally she has shown me the art of tactful negotiations.
Throughout my life there have been times when I've needed things weather it was
to ask Dad to barrow the car or to call for a Job Interview. She taught
me that with a little bit of tact a conversation can be directed to the results
that I wanted.
There are more to my list of things that I have learned from my
mother, and more to the list of things that I want to be better like my mother,
but ultimately I need she needs to know that I love her and look up to her and
all of her talents and abilities. Happy Mother’s Day Mom.
Three of the many lessons I
learned from my mother
by Jennifer Case Ferree
Honoring God's plan for Husbands, wives and families; Mom taught me through
example how to live God's plan. Many would try to tell me that the proclamation
to the family is sexist and oppressing to women. Mom taught me another
perspective of honoring the priesthood and being an honored partner in a
marriage who is smart and strong and a true help meet. She never acted as a
lesser partner with dad but gracefully showed us how to put her husband at the
head of the household while retaining her own incredibly important and
beautiful role of raising a Christ centered family. Her skills are rare and I
cherish what she taught me by example.
Selfless service: Mom's life is a series of
examples of selfless service to her children to every one she has been in contact
with. She took me in broken and with some repulsive weaknesses clinging to me
with a vengeance. I will never be able to put into words the kindness and
strength and faith she showed me. I mean the amount of faith in Christ, in the
atonement, in my ability to change and in herself that she could bare whatever
broken needs I would have as an adult child living at home. I love her for the Christ
like love she showed me those difficult years and her entire life.
Jesus Christ is our
Redeemer and Savior: She has unwavering faith. She knows the atonement works and
expresses it in kind forgiveness and her ability to love.
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