My Mom...

This is a cute and touching tribute to my mom, Judy, from a dear family friend, Morena Harris. My mom is the kind of person who should have run a homeless shelter. She has always had so much love for others and has shown endless amounts of service in her life. I remember always taking meals and other items to people's homes when I was growing up. I love my mom and the example she has shown in her life. She's now the one who needs service done for her and she has built up a big reservoir of people willing to do it!

When a person is in the mist of experienceing "The Journey" here on earth, "angels" are sent to be of comfort, to teach, and to simply love you. This person in my life from the time I was 17 until now was Judy Blackwelder Craig. She has always encouraged me to be the best person that I could be. She taught me to "love" beef liver and onions along with her home made bread and the trimings served on her best china. And she loved me uncontionally.

It was my priviledge to live with the Craig Family for 2 and 1/2 years. There was never a dull moment with the LDS missionaries and boarders (me included) living under the same roof along with this family. Judy made special sweet rolls, cheese cakes, and you could not beat her butter milk pancakes on Saturday morning.

We sang together, did millions of dishes together, scrubed and waxed the hard wood floor in the front foyer together. And in doing these things there was a lot of teasing and laughter. I loved living there and felt I belonged.

Life brings changes and it was time for me to go out to BYU and leave this family behind. It was hard to go away and the homesickness was felt for a long time. I had grown to love this family and in God's tender mercy they came to Salt Lake to the University of Utah to finish grad school. This meant that I could see them on a regular basis. Our ties to each other grew and off to Texas and then Hawaii this family went, but we never lost touch.

All Judy's children are grown and married with children of their own. Judy loves her grandchildren so much. She had a special apron and puppets in the pockets and as she would make gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies and other kinds as well, she would play and have such a good time with them. I wanted to be like her when it was my time to have grand children. Let's just say, I never got an apron with pockets and puppets, but I always thought that it was such a neat idea.

Everytime Judy would come to my home for dinner, she would always praise me in some special way. She always wanted to take my hand when she talked to me about old times-I love that about her. She has such a special giggle that makes you laugh when you hear her laughing. Her special cards over the years have been dear to me and the phone calls out of the blue, "hi hon, what are you doing?" are treasures to me.

Judy has a strong, powerful testimony of the Savior and has influnced me and many others to want to be in service to others. Yes, in some small way, I want to honor you, Judy! You are family in my heart and a hero of goodness to me. You are a special "soul" of great worth-thank you for always being there for me and my family and know you are the special angel in my life - Love, Rose