Sooooo, for the next 23 days leading up to Thanksgiving, I will be thanking 23 people in my life that I feel grateful for and who have made an impact on who I am. As I have made this list, I have also realized that there are much much more than 23 people I could be thanking, so I hope no one is offended if I don't thank you specifically. These are simply the 23 people I felt the most impressed to thank.
Day 1: Mom
Oh Mom. I could write an entire book on all the ways that I should thank you. Growing up, I always thought I was pretty good at recognizing how much I owed you and Dad for the things you gave me, and the things you let me do. I remember the day you told me you would be helping me pay for school, because for as long as I could remember I had assumed that as soon as I left I was on my own financially. And I remember feeling very grateful that day. But there are so many other things I never thanked you for.
From Baby-Teenager Bryn:
Thank you for staying home and playing with me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for helping me to stop sucking my thumb. Thank you for signing me up for soccer, and continuing to sign me up for soccer, and taking me to all my practices that were far away and all my games that were far away. Thank you for coming to my soccer games even though they were frigid. Thank you for letting me wear the "boy clothes" that I wanted to wear. Thank you for taking me trick-or-treating. Thank you for doing everything in your power to make Christmas magical. Thank you for reading books to me. Thank you for almost never saying no when I wanted to buy a book. Thank you for praising me every time I got an A in school, or a great grade on a project, or when I wrote a ridiculous story that I thought was sooooo amazing. Thank you for sending me to that Writer's Workshop at Cornell when I was so sure I was going to be an author when I grew up. Thank you for taking me to church. Thank you for showing me your faith most every day. Thank you for making our home a safe haven. Thank you for washing my clothes. Thank you for doing the dishes. Thank you for cooking dinner. Thank you for making and packing my lunch. Thank you for making my breakfast. Thank you for taking us to McDonald's. Thank you for taking me school shopping. Thank you for not making me eat food I hated. Thank you for getting me into piano lessons. Thank you for coming to my torturous Middle School Band Concerts. Thank you for letting me have my friends over and for letting me go to my friends' house. Thank you for instilling in me a desire to grow up to be a mother.
From Teenager - 23 year old Bryn:
I am so so so so so so SORRY. I don't think I can ever say this enough. But let's focus on the Thank You's. Thank you for letting me participate in a million things in high school and run myself ragged. I loved it. Thank you for coming to all my sports games, concerts, show choir competitions, and plays. Thank you for introducing me to Jane Austen. Thank you for all the times we watched Jane Austen movies and ate cookie dough and/or ice cream. Thank you for introducing me to so much music that I love like Celtic Woman, Mannheim Steamroller, Josh Groban, all of the many many soundtracks we listen to and the Piano Guys. Thank you for taking me and my friends to the Mall of America for my birthday. Thank you for supporting me in my desire to go to BYU. Thank you for helping me make that happen. Thank you for loving me even though I was mean to you. Thank you for giving me space even though you wanted to talk to me. Thank you for grounding me and yelling at me and getting me in trouble because you love me so much and you just wanted to keep me safe and happy. Thank you for the Prom dresses. Thank you for not holding my horrible teenage behavior over my head. Thank you for being there for me any time I needed you even though your feelings were hurt. Thank you for being worried about me walking home from work at night alone. Thank you for letting me come home for the summer, but treating me like an adult while I was there. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for making sure we always had Family Home Evening. Thank you for keeping our house so very clean. Thanks for all the mother-daughter date nights. Thank you for playing cards and Dominos with me. Thank you for supporting me when Jake made me so mad. Thank you for putting me in my place when I was the one who was wrong. Thank you for being supportive of me telling you that I wanted to marry a guy you'd never met and that I hadn't really told you anything about. Thank you for coming to Utah for our wedding. Thank you for paying for my dress. Thank you for organizing a reception in Iowa for us. Thank you for welcoming Tyler into our family with open arms and doing everything you can to make him feel welcome. Thank you for not asking me when we were going to start having kids. Thank you for always being my mom, no matter what I've done or said to you.
From Bryn the Mom:
I remember one day, not long after Kale had been born, that I was holding him and thinking about how much I loved him, and I realized that THAT is how you felt about ME. And I was overwhelmed. I finally understood so much of what you did and said, and I understood just how much I had hurt you. On the one hand, I was filled with guilt and remorse for the way I had behaved. And on the other hand, I was full of gratitude to know just how much you love me. Thank you so much for that, Mom. I have never, not for one second, doubted that you love me. I may have doubted other things, but your love was never one of them. But now I understand that love was much stronger than I realized before. Thank you for showing me how to be selfless. Thank you for showing me how to teach my children the gospel. Thank you for coming and staying with me when Kale and Ellory were born and helping us so much. Thank you for loving Kale and Ellory as much as you love me. Thank you for allowing me to learn how to be a mom and a wife but also being willing to help when asked. Thank you for teaching me how to make chocolate chip cookies and Grandma's rolls and The Best Chocolate Cake Ever. Thank you for coming to visit us as often as you can. Thank you for helping us to come visit you. Thank you for being excited to have us live in Iowa! Thank you for all the packages you have sent over the years. Thank you for helping us move, multiple times. Thank you for making a Grandkids Room in your house. I know that I can't possibly remember to thank you for everything. Just, thank you.
The ways that you have influenced me and my life are endless. In some ways I am like you because of genes, and other ways I am like you because of the time we have spent together. I honestly don't really remember "learning" from you, but I know that it is because of what you taught me that I was able to excel at school and in the gospel. You have given me an example of someone who serves without complaint. Your self-control and diligence astound me, and I wish so much I had gotten those qualities from you. You are the exact opposite of lazy, and when I need a little inspiration to not be lazy, I think of you. I have seen how you have been an influence for good in so many people's lives, and I am proud to call you my Mom.
I love you so very much, and I can't - no, I refuse - to imagine my life without you. I still rely on you in so many ways, and I still take you for granted despite my new understanding of motherhood. I just want you to know that you are a wonderful mother. If ever you question that, come back to this blog post and I will tell you right now: You were and are a great mother. You did everything you could for us, and you still are. You do not ever need to feel that you fell short. Ever.
The ways that you have influenced me and my life are endless. In some ways I am like you because of genes, and other ways I am like you because of the time we have spent together. I honestly don't really remember "learning" from you, but I know that it is because of what you taught me that I was able to excel at school and in the gospel. You have given me an example of someone who serves without complaint. Your self-control and diligence astound me, and I wish so much I had gotten those qualities from you. You are the exact opposite of lazy, and when I need a little inspiration to not be lazy, I think of you. I have seen how you have been an influence for good in so many people's lives, and I am proud to call you my Mom.
I love you so very much, and I can't - no, I refuse - to imagine my life without you. I still rely on you in so many ways, and I still take you for granted despite my new understanding of motherhood. I just want you to know that you are a wonderful mother. If ever you question that, come back to this blog post and I will tell you right now: You were and are a great mother. You did everything you could for us, and you still are. You do not ever need to feel that you fell short. Ever.
I love you forever, Mom.
P.S. I think the last time we took a picture together was on my wedding day.....Probably because you and I are usually the ones taking the pictures! Like mother, like daughter I suppose.
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