No fair that I only get 10! No fair so much that I'm going to cheat... a lot.
I already talked about my parents on Day 3. Ordinarily they would be on the top of my list, but since I already have to condense my list down to only 10 people, I will leave them out this time.
1. Professor Wilkinson
I took several writing classes from her in college. She taught me a lot about finding my own writing style, the "rules" of writing, and helped me discover the writer inside of me. In fact, for a fleeting moment (or a month or two) she almost had me convinced to change my major. She was very supportive of my writing and helped me learn to use writing as a way of expressing myself. Even though writing isn't my career or anything it does help me work through things, and I wouldn't be as sane as I am without it, so Professor Wilkinson did change my life. (Plus, in one of her classes the assignment was to write a letter of complaint, and my slightly hilarious "strongly worded letter" to the people of Planters resulted in a case of 300 individual serving packages of mixed nuts. And who doesn't like nuts? :)
2. Mrs. Atkinson.
She was my 1st and 2nd grade teacher. She taught me a lot of things, more than just reading and math. She taught me how to be my best self, that I am the boss of me, and that hugs can cure almost anything. She always had a big smile for everyone she met, and you felt better about yourself just by being with her. She inspired me to change lives, and that's what I hope I have been doing for years, but especially hope I will be doing as a social worker.
3.Nana Laura and Papa Steve:
They are Ethan and Adia's birth grandparents. They had the power to decide the future of those kids, and in the process my future as well. And while the choice they made was a very difficult one, they chose to make me a mom, and that is something that changed my life. Since then I try to think more about how my choices effect others.
4. The people I served with in Young Women's in Brigham City.
There is a lot of inspiration squeezed into this one little statement, but there are too many to mention them separately. Each of the leaders taught me a different lesson through their own individual personality. They were wonderful women, each in their own way, and they inspired me to be a better person. The girls I served were strong and independent and wonderful. They kept me on my toes all the time, but they taught me so much about myself, the gospel, and unconditional love. I feel like I am a better person for being in that calling.
5. Great Grandma Harvey I was really lucky growing up that I had an opportunity to spend a lot of time at her house. I got to have a relationship with her that few people get to have with their great grandma. She showed her love through food, and some of my favorite recipes to this day are hers. Then I cook them and eat them I can feel her arms around me, and when I share those dishes with the people I love can feel her loving them as well. She had a story for everything, she could keep you on the edge of your seat for hours. She loved her family, she made everyone feel like they were the most important person in the world, she taught me that it is important to work hard AND to play hard. I think I got my sense of humor and teasing from her. And she sent me Adia.:)
6. Levi
Stollen from Facebook, I couldn't help myself :)
7. My La Sal Ladies.
There are several young mothers who have lived in La Sal over the past few years, and I have been really blessed to know them. From Stacy being a listening ear to Jenny helping me adjust to being divorced, from Kim going with me for moral support when I met my ex-husband's new boyfriend for the first time to Melissa giving me a desire to learn more about the scriptures, from Amanda teaching me about selfless service to Amber teaching me how to be a good single mom to Jennifer making me laugh. The list is endless, the way these ladies have changed my life. I could not have asked for a better place to be at this exact time in my life. I am a better person for having known them, and would be a far better person if I were more like them.
8. Shanna It's strange how through technology some of the most important people in your life can be people you have never met. That is my relationship with Shanna. She and I met through an online adoption group. She lives on the other side of the country from me, and we have never met (though we did have an almost opportunity last summer, it just didn't work out) but she has touched my life in a way I can't exactly explain. She is a phenomenal mother, and she inspires me to be better every day. She is a super fun mom who is patient and adventurous. She does things with her kids that I am totally not brave enough to do, but she is such a good mom that she handles it with grace, and it always turns out great. But another thing I love about her is that she's honest. Sometimes things don't go perfectly in her adventures, and she admits that too - her blog is hilarious, and proves to me that you can be the best mom in the world without everything being perfect all the time. She has taught me a lot about adoption, and without really knowing it has helped me heal and grow in ways I hadn't even realized I needed to. She listens to the spirit. Every time I stumble, she somehow knows it, and has e-mailed me or sent me a package, or posted a comment with exactly what I needed to hear at exactly the moment I needed it. She is not only very in-tune to the messages God sends her, but she ACTS on them too. That inspires me. AND the most exciting news ever - she is expecting a baby! After years of infertility she is experiencing a miracle, and I am so happy for her. The imperfect side of me might have been a tiny bit jealous of this kind of situation in the past, but with her I am nothing but overjoyed. I am honestly so happy for her I can't even express it. That's how much I love Shanna, and if you've ever struggled with infertility you realize it's a lot of love.
9. Kalista and Bobbi
My niece Kalista has always had a special place in my heart. We lived together for a while right after she was born, and I was lucky enough to spend a lot of hours taking care of her and loving on her. She is my only niece and has a special place in my heart. Kalista has autism. That makes her life a lot harder than most, but she is not only surviving, but thriving. She has taught me a lot of lessons, like patience, and kindness, and perseverance, and looking at things from a different perspective. She teaches my kids things too, and I love that they have an opportunity to spend a lot of time with her, and be friends and play, like cousins should. And one of the reasons that Kalista is such a great girl is because of her wonderful mother, my favorite sister, Bobbi. Bobbi works non stop helping and teaching and loving Kalista. It isn't an easy job, but she handles it with so much grace. I know her life is really hard, but she always has the best attitude about things, she takes, even the hard days in stride. She is the kid of person I hope to be some day. And she is the BEST aunt. Adia ADORES her, and follows her around and talks her leg off, and makes her have makeovers, and Bobbi makes Adia feel like she is the coolest person in the world. And she makes me feel good too. I know that I have someone to watch my back, with Bobbi. She is brave and feisty and she stands up for me all the time. And she helps me laugh at the crazy situations I find myself in. We are really lucky to live so close to them right now and have the opportunity to spend so much time with them.
10. Ethan and Adia
I can't even express how they have changed my life. Being a mother has made me a completely different person than I used to be. To care for and love someone with that magnitude is something I didn't even know existed. They change the way I think, the way I act, the way I love. They have influenced me more than any other person on earth. I live every day for them, and they teach me new things every single minute. When I think of them I want to be kinder, more loving, braver, more patient, more spiritual, successful, happier, the list goes on and on. And they are all of those things, so they are great examples for me to follow.
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