The Bread Lady

A couple weeks ago our Stake Relief Society put on an activity with a variety of speakers we could choose from.  If I had attended the last class first, I think I would have stayed there the whole time.  It was a bread class, and each of the 3 hours the instructor taught a different variety of bread, but from the moment I sat down and started watching her and her 12 year old daughter, I no longer cared about french bread.  I wanted my girls to play at their house!  This mother was gentle, joyful, centered, happy, and on and on, and her daughter was sweet, kind, beautiful, helpful, etc. etc.  Turns out that they live a ways away (yes, I asked), but just by watching them I could tell that she was an incredible woman and an intentional mother (Sister Beck talks about that, and I need to be better at it), and that her daughter was much the same.  I've only practiced what she said about bread a little, but I've thought about the two of them and their example a lot.

When studying Ralph Waldo Emerson this past week, this quote reminded me of them and the many others I get to call my family and friends.

"I count no man much because he cows or silences me.  Any fool can do that.  But if his conversation enriches or rejoices me, I must reckon him wise."

I hope you have people like that in your life, people that by just being around them make you want to be more, because I feel like my world is full of them.

By the way, "The Bread Lady" has a name, and she's a writer too, which I was happy to learn.  Since meeting her I found some articles she wrote, and this is my favorite, mainly because the night after I read it I had it in mind, and I ended up not eating ice cream, but did enjoy a great conversation with my son.  I want to start sending her topics for her to write about so I can learn more from her.  :)