A Tribute to My Mother-in-Law

This week my mother-in-law celebrated her 73rd birthday.  I felt it fair to say something about her since I've written a little about my father-in-law in a previous post.  Shirley is an incredible woman who never seeks attention and is always content to serve quietly behind the scenes.

When I first met my husband's parents,  I recognized Shirley as the classy-dressed brunette, always graceful, Spanish / English teacher from my middle school.  What a small world!  Who could have known that the same woman I had passed in those 7th - 9th grade halls would one day be the grandmother of my children?

When she was a teenager living in California, she was introduced to the church and was soon baptized. She served a full-time LDS mission to Uruguay where she became fluent in Spanish. After her mission, she moved to Provo to go to BYU where she met her husband.  Just under the span of nine years, she bore eight children. (Four years after her eighth, she had her ninth.)  I think the longest standing calling in the church she has ever had was Gospel Doctrine Instructor because she did such a fantastic job teaching.

My mother-in-law is a gifted author.  She has written numerous articles for the church magazines and has published a few of her own books.  I've been especially grateful for her talents in this area these past ten months when I've been in school.  Any paper I've had to write, she's been more than happy to edit for me.

She has been a wonderful support to my father-in-law and has remained steadfastly loyal to him through thick and thin, day-in and day-out.  Through every hardship she has been right there at his side.  She loves greatly, lives faithfully, serves quietly, and prays constantly.  I admire her stamina.

I don't know many people who have absolutely no complaints about their in-laws; This is why I feel so fortunate to have married well enough that I have nothing but gratitude and deep respect for each of mine, especially my mother-in-law.

-Alicia

"I pray that you will understand the words of Jesus, 'Love one another as I have loved you.' Ask yourself 'How Has he loved me? Do I really love others in the same way?' Unless this love is among us, we can kill ourselves with work and it will only be work, not love. Work without love is slavery.

 Little things are indeed little, but to be faithful in little things is a great thing.

A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, must empty ourselves. The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace."

 - Mother Teresa