From the moment I started working on Personal Progress, Mom was my biggest supporter. She made an effort to frequently check in on my goals and accomplishments. If I hadn't worked on it in a while, she was always the first to encourage me to pull my books out and begin again. Almost every Sunday, she would ask me if there was anything specific I needed to talk about for my Personal Progress goals. She helped me on countless value projects, spending hours working with me on one thing or another. For my faith value project, she taught me to plant and nurture garden. As we went we discussed faith and the importance of nurturing it with the same love and attention. For choice and accountability, she helped me sew a modest dress for the Christmas dance. I cherish the hours we spent working together on that dress, and the dress itself has become very important to me. When the new Personal Progress books came out, the Relief Society sisters were encouraged to complete the program, especially if they had daughters in Young Women. Mom of course started right away. We worked through the booklet side by side, signing off each other's assignments and supporting each other.
With all this support, you'd think I would have finished much earlier than I did. But I, being a procrastinator, received my Young Womanhood medallion my very last Sunday in my home ward. I wish I had finished even just a year and a half earlier so Mom could have been there physically to celebrate with me. However, I know she's just as proud now as she would have been then!
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A fun fact about the dress: My dad had this dress made for my mom
while on his mission. I've inherited it and absolutely love it! |
Unknown to me, my dad sent a letter to President Elaine S. Dalton on Mothers' Day explaining to her the work that my mom and I had done together. He mentioned that although my mom didn't have the opportunity to reach her goal of finishing in this life, he's sure she finished them in spirit.
Sister Dalton wrote a wonderful letter back which said that she was including my mom's young womenhood medallion for my dad to give to me after I had received my own.
My dad gave me the medallion on the one year anniversary of my mom's passing. I slipped the beautiful gold medallion around my neck, where my own silver medallion was already hanging. I haven't worn one without the other since. The two look beautiful together. But the amazing thing is the feeling I get when I wear them. I feel so close to my mom and my Heavenly Father. I know they are proud of me and that they are always with me. Their love surrounds me every day. They are my two most prized possessions.
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