In Memory of a Wonderful Mother

Mother's Day has a lot more meaning to me now that I'm a mom. It's not because that now I'm a mom I don't have to do the dishes on that day, but because now that I'm a mom, I understand a little bit more about all the sacrifices mothers make for their children and what a big difference those sacrifices make in the lives of their children. With Sunday being Mother's Day, I'd like to finally write about someone I've wanted to write about for nine months, but just never known where to start. My friend, Kendra Amrine.  

 About a month after we moved to Sacramento, the Bishop of our ward asked me if I would be a co-activity days leader (help plan and put on activities for the girls 8-12). I said sure and, later that week, a very pregnant Primary President came to my house to explain what I would be doing. I'm sure I had met her before, but that's the first time I started to become friends with Kendra. As we sat and talked, the smile never faded from her face. She was energetic and electric. When she left I couldn't stop thinking about what a fun and happy woman she was. She made me feel excited to serve.

A few months after her baby was born, she was released as the Primary President and I was called. Again, she came to sit on my couch and chat about what I would be doing. She was so kind and helpful. Even months after she had been released, I knew she would always be quick to respond to emails or phone calls if I had any questions. 

A few months later we moved from our apartment to a house. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I found out Kendra only lived a block away from our new house. We started to go on walks with each other twice a week in the morning before our husbands and kids woke up. This continued for about two years. We talked about so many things; education, crafts, funny stories from childhood, funny stories about family, pregnancy, babies, cooking, gardening, and life in general. She was a font of knowledge that I was happy to sip from twice a week.

After much thought and prayer, Kendra started to home-school her children. I loved listening to her talk about all the fun lesson plan she had come up with. Here's a picture from her blog of a chemistry lesson.

 The Sunday before we moved to Denver, Kendra invited us over for dinner. She made homemade chicken noodle soup, homemade rolls, and a delicious salad. It wasn't the first meal she had made for us, but it was the most memorable because everything felt so comforting in a time that was tumultuous. There were several people it was really hard to say goodbye to when we moved, and Kendra was one of them.

A little over nine months ago, I logged onto Facebook and saw several comments of condolence on Kendra's page. Concerned, I started scrolling and reading, and was devastated to discover that she had unexpectedly passed away. I called my friend Britt who confirmed what had happened. 

So many people lost so much the day she passed away, especially her husband and children.

But instead of focusing on how sad her death was, I hope to always remember the light she brought into the lives of all she touched. I feel like my life is so much richer because Kendra Amrine was my friend. I am grateful for her. She will always be a reminder to me of what it really means to be a mother and how much one woman can affect so many.

Happy Mother's Day Kendra and all you other wonderful moms out there!