Influences

I know it has been a while since I have written anything, there has been something I have been trying to write for at least a month, but without any success.  So onto a different topic. Today during church my mind for some reason was thinking about some people who have influenced me.

It all started when I let a young girl "color" on my iPad while her mother had to go up and play the piano.  I enjoyed this time with my young friend.  And my memories went back to when I was 4 and 5.  There was a elderly woman by the name of Sister Smith (no seriously that was her name) in my ward. My mother was her visiting teacher and often had to bring me along for her visits.  Sister Smith always made sure there was a bowl of malt balls on the table for our visits. I always felt welcomed into her home. During Sacrament meetings, I would sneak up to where Sister Smith and her husband were sitting and sit on her lap and she would let me play with her beads, she was always wearing beads. She passed away quite a while ago and while I don't remember her exactly, I remember there was a kind woman who always made me feel special and feel loved. Because of her influence, I try to offer the same kindness to others.

Yeah, that was me at age 4, I know I was cute.

Later, I was talking to a sister in Relief Society and how she had just been hired on as a PE teacher at a local high school. My mind floated to my junior high PE teacher, Ms. Green. Junior high, you remember that time when your body was changing and you just weren't sure who you were, who your friends were, and you always felt weird and awkward.  If that wasn't your junior high experience, my hats off to you.  She was a little light in that weird awkward stage.  She greeted each girl with a smile and would call us beautiful or gorgeous. I can still hear her voice call out, "hello beautiful." It always felt sincere when she said it and helped me feel good about who I was. She was patient and kind teaching those of us with less athletic abilities with our ever changing limbs helping find the confidence within ourselves to give it a try.  I can't even begin to tell you how long she worked with me just so I could serve the volleyball over the net. Today I try to follow her example hoping that those around me always feel beautiful.  I'm not very good at it, but I am trying.

Of course there have been many more who have been an influence in my life, but this post would be quite long if I started to list them all.  I never had a chance to really thank either of these women who had such a huge impact on my life, but I am grateful for their positive and righteous influence. I'm sure neither of these woman thought their simple small acts were making much of a difference at all, but they did.  They impacted the way I see the world, they impacted how I want to treat others, how I want others to feel when they are around me. Is there something small you could be doing to help others feel the love of our Savior?