My Mother - A Spiritual Giant Despite Much Adversity

     I realized that there was a common factor surrounding all of my most spiritual, life-changing experiences: they came from my mother. My mom has been subject to more trial and tribulation than any other person I have come in contact with. However, despite the harsh tides of adversity constantly being thrust upon her, my mother has stood as a spiritual giant at all times. She has been a role model and teacher of infinite worth in my life, as her response to hardship has made me the man I am today. I will focus my remarks upon her most recent, and most challenging, life obstacle.

     I can clearly recall the summer of 2007. The humid air and lush green atmosphere of Pennsylvania seemed more important to me than it ever did. I may have felt this way because I was preparing to begin my freshman year of high school, but I believe these feelings occurred in anticipation of life-altering news. It was early August, and my mother was going about her daily routine of running her prestigious daycare, cleaning the house, preparing food, mowing the lawn, and completing her other various tasks. On this particular day, however, my mother was complaining of a pain in her side. She was tough and continued on with her strenuous work, despite our constant advising that she should go to the hospital. It took the persistence of a daycare mom to finally convince my mom that she should go to the emergency room. My 5 siblings and I anxiously awaited for a phone call of some sort to put our nervousness to ease. We finally received a call from my father, in which he told us that my mother was bleeding somewhere inside, that her hemoglobin was at a critically low level, and that she was in critical condition. He then said that the doctors indicated that this most likely indicated a tumor of some sort was in her body.

     After a number of tests and colonoscopy, me and my 3 sisters (who were the only siblings currently at home) gathered around my mom in her hospital bed. She proceeded to tell us that she had stage 3C colon cancer, meaning that the tumor had just barely begun to break through the colon wall. I remember, at that very moment, being more scared than I ever had been before in my life. We all began to cry in disbelief, as my mom informed us that she had a 50% chance of survival, and that she would have to endure 7 months of chemotherapy following her surgery. I remember, more than anything, the calm and collected nature my mother maintained as she broke the news to us. She knew, through her faith in Christ and her patriarchal blessing, that all would be well. She did not worry for a second.

     Despite her faith, my mother suffered the worst physical and mental pain I have ever witnessed. My mom told me that she would wake up every morning to see my sister off to school, even though the very task made her feel like death. She even took me and my sister to seminary several times, a 15 minute drive at 5:45 in the morning that probably exhausted all of her daily energy. I would rush home to take care of her, as my father worked nearly an hour away and would get home late at night. My grades suffered, and having to watch her suffer wore me down mentally and emotionally. However, all along the way, my mom never faltered in her faith in Christ, and the fact that all would be well. To this day, my mom is in remission and survived a deadly bout of one of the deadliest cancers.

     This trial in my mother's life strengthened my life in so many ways. The fact that she endured so much pain and hardship with such energy and positivity, was amazing. However, the fact that she remained faithful to Christ, his blessings (her patriarchal blessing), and the fact that all would be well, was most impressive. Whenever I face tribulation in this life that I deem significant, I am reminded of my mother and her suffering. It is then that I realize that my problems are small, and I am reminded of the Savior's suffering for the sins of the world. It is because of my faithful mom that I have an increased testimony of the atonement, and the fact that the Lord will never put us through anything we cannot accomplish. I love my mother, and am so grateful for all that she has done for me. She has been an idol, a “Spiritual Giant” that has made my faith in Christ grow exponentially.