Happy Mother’s Day, to mothers around me, to mothers who went before me, and to mothers who will follow me.

Today I am thinking about my ancestral mothers.  The direction they faced influenced the direction I face.  I am grateful for them and for that.  They were amazing women.

A prominent non-Latter Day Saint historian named Wallace Stegner wrote of the Mormon pioneers, “That I do not accept the faith that possessed them does not mean I doubt their frequent devotion and heroism in its service. Especially their women. Their women were incredible.” (The Gathering of Zion: The Story of the Mormon Trail, 1992).

With that thought, I am also thinking about the daughters, granddaughters, and great granddaughters who will come after I am gone.  I think carefully about which way I face.  I choose my direction prayerfully, deliberately, and with conviction.  I hope someday those who will follow feel my love for them and my interest in their lives and choices.  It is my hope that they will know, without question, which way I face.