The Ultimate Example of Greatness

I was determined to find the best “great” thing the write about; while I was pondering a voice from the kitchen hollered, “Jake! It’s time to eat!” I quickly got up off the couch, put my laptop down, and rushed down the stairs. As I broke the threshold of the kitchen, an aroma hit my nostrils like a 200 pound linebacker. The smell of steak, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls, and barbeque sauce pummeled my senses and I thought I was in heaven. “Mom! Oh my gosh! This smells so good!” I quickly sat down, inhaled the angelic meal, and at that moment I knew exactly what my essay on greatness what going to be about.

Like the prophet Nephi and many of you, I was born of “goodly parents” (1 Nephi 1:1). My father is great, but comparing him to my mother would be like comparing Lake Powell to the Atlantic Ocean; not even close. So please allow me a few moments to reminisce on a few childhood memories I have chosen to praise my mother on her greatness.

My mother is a hard worker. Every day in pre-school, my mom would drive twenty minutes so I could go to a school that would actually teach me something. She was also working at Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, and my pre-school was just across the street. After an eight hour day of work, she would come home, make dinner, clean the house, help my older brother with homework and put us all to bed with a story. This continued from the age of four, until I was six. After that she spent time helping me with my schooling and enrolled me into piano lessons. I hated it! But while making dinner, she would listen to me play the piano and help me when I got frustrated (which was often). I had lessons once a week and she would come home from work to drive me and my older brothers. She passed her love for music onto us and I now too have a love for music and couldn’t picture my life without it.

When I was in High school, I recall coming home thinking I would have a break for a while until my parents came home from work. To my dismay, she was just a phone call away and shortly after I walked in the door the ringing of the phone shook me like an earthquake. I was told on the phone what I needed to do for the day. I was expected to do all my homework and chores before she came home. My mother taught me what hard work meant, and it has affected my schooling, job, and social life. She taught me the habit of work first, and then play. Because of it I became a manager in less than a year, went to BYU, and have many close relationships with my friends.

My mom supported me in everything I did, even if it meant I wasn’t the best at it. She attended almost all of my extra-curricular activity events including: marching band competitions, rugby games, , jazz, symphony, and piano concerts , and city league basketball, flag football, and soccer. Every time I was competing, playing, or just fooling around with my friends she was there screaming for myself and my teammates. This past summer I had four or five of my friends coming over every week for “COD night” where we would stay up until the late hours of the morning playing Call of Duty. My mom loved my friends and would often ask “when is COD night?” because she wanted to make pizza, or get us drinks so we could have a good time. She knew and loved all my friends and she opened up her house to them like it was their own. I love my mom so much and without her I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Greatness is the ability someone has to influence others lives for the better, and that is the definition of my mom.