Twirling

Twirling by Julie Rogers

     Julie Rogers, a Kanab,Utah artist painted this wonderful picture titled "Twirling".  I love her loose, energetic style.  I can't wait to watch Julie paint at the Santa Clara "Quick Draw" exhibit in May.  At least I'm hoping she will be there.  I've been wanting to attend one of her workshops but apparently she is busy working on an exhibit that will take place in Washington DC.  
     This picture reminds me of the movie "You've got Mail".  The main character Katherine Kelly (Meg Ryan) reminisces about "twirling" with her mother.  That part always makes me cry.  I think of my own daughter and wonder, "Did we twirl?"  My one and only daughter came to us after the birth of three wonderful sons.  I was thrilled to have a girl in the family, a little "rose bud" to dress in frilly clothes, to balance out my baseball card tradin', crawdad fishing, sweaty and love 'em, little boys.  The whole hospital heard me cry out, "IT'S A GIRL!"  (That was in the days before routine ultrasounds.) She has been a joy in my life ever since.  She had her feisty years but has now become a most kind, thoughtful and sweet young mother, daughter, and friend.  It will soon be her birthday and I just want to say ,"I love you!"  She is fortunate now to have three sisters, the spectacular girls who married my sons.  I am most grateful for these four special women who are the mothers of the my beautiful, brilliant, and sometimes challenging, grandchildren.  I know their job is difficult but hope they won't forget to "twirl".  In their honor I pulled out one of my favorite quotes from an LDS conference talk given in 2000 by Margaret Nadauld.


     "Women of God can never be like women of the world.  The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender.  There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind.  There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined.  We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith.  We have enough greed; we need more goodness.  We have enough vanity; we need more virtue.  We have enough popularity; we need more purity."