Remembering a Grandpa

The teacher in church today quoted this talk from President Hinckley.  I was flooded with my memories of that sweet man and had to come home and read the rest of the talk.  Is it any wonder he felt like a grandpa to everyone?  I thought this talk was perfect to share here at Happy Momma, because it is all about women and mothers.  So, here are some highlights:


Many of you are mothers, and that is enough to occupy one’s full time.

You are companions—the very best friends your husbands have or ever will have.

You are housekeepers. That doesn’t sound like much, does it? But what a job it is to keep a house clean and tidy.

You are shoppers. Until I got older I never dreamed of what a demanding responsibility it is to keep food in the pantry, to keep clothing neat and presentable, to buy all that is needed to keep a home running.

You are nurses. With every illness that comes along, you are the first to be told about it and the first to respond with help. In cases of serious sickness, you are at the bedside day and night, comforting, encouraging, ministering, praying.

You are the family chauffeur. You are driving your children about on paper routes, taking them to athletic events, driving them on ward outings, hauling here, there, and everywhere as they pursue their busy lives.

And so I might go on. My children are now all grown. Some are in their 60s. But when they call and I answer the phone, they say, “How are you?” And before I can answer, they ask, “Is Mother there?”

She has been their strength all of their lives. Since they were babies they have looked to her, and she has always responded with affection, guidance, teaching, blessing their lives in every way.


Now we have granddaughters who are mothers. They visit us, and I marvel at their patience, at their capacity to calm their children, to stop them from crying, and it seems to me to do a thousand other things.

They drive cars, they run computers, they attend the activities of their children, they cook and sew, they teach classes, and they speak in church.

Many of you think you are failures. You feel you cannot do well, that with all of your effort it is not sufficient.

We all feel that way. I feel that way as I speak to you tonight. I long for, I pray for the power and the capacity to lift you, to inspire you, to thank you, to praise you, and to bring a measure of gladness into your hearts.

We all worry about our performance. We all wish we could do better. But unfortunately we do not realize, we do not often see the results that come of what we do.

You are doing the best you can, and that best results in good to yourself and to others. Do not nag yourself with a sense of failure. Get on your knees and ask for the blessings of the Lord; then stand on your feet and do what you are asked to do. Then leave the matter in the hands of the Lord. You will discover that you have accomplished something beyond price.

Count your blessings; name them one by one. You don’t need a great big mansion of a house with an all-consuming mortgage that goes on forever. You do need a comfortable and pleasant home where love abides.

Every time this man spoke, I felt better about myself.  I felt the love and deep respect he had for the role of women and mothers. I loved hearing him talk about his wife and see him hold her hand.

Every time I saw him, I could feel his love for the members of the Church, and for all of God's children.  I never met him, but I felt like I knew him as well as my own Grandpa.  

He was funny and eloquent, but when he started pounding his hand on the podium or holding up his scriptures you could feel the power of the Lord pressing on your heart.  Because of President Hinckley, my testimony of Temples was strengthened.  Because of him I tried to raise the bar in my own life, and only dated those who had those same standards.  Because of him I respected my own mom more and realized how much she really did for me.  When I heard him speak about his wife and the respect he had for women, I wanted to grow up to be one of them.  To be a Mother.  Truly, what better calling?  And now that I am a momma, I am the happiest I ever remember being in my whole life.  How can you feel bad all the time when you know you are fulfilling your divine calling?