Thursday, May 13, 2010

Why I'm glad I don't have a girl



For those of you who have girls, I want you to know that I'm doing my part. I talk to my boys REGULARLY about what the world is telling women, and how to recognize lies, and the importance of health and acceptance. But, man, is it a crazy world out there. (Thanks to Kristi for the link.)

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Dear Mom,

Happy Mother’s Day! And I hope that, today, you ARE a happy mother. A few specific things that I want to thank you for this day:

-Teaching me a love of reading. It’s pretty amazing, considering your background, how you were able to give us such a love of literature and of learning in general. We never had a doubt what a treat you thought it was to learn something new or read a great book. It’s one of the most priceless treasures I have. Even when I’m sick, I always have a cheap, easy source of entertainment, enlightenment and self-improvement. Thank you.

-Teaching me a love of music. Even now, it is your voice, singing around the house (and, of course, reading to us) that I remember most clearly about you. I’m glad I got to see you volunteering to sing in small groups, teaching us songs to sing together, working diligently at the three songs you taught yourself on the piano, making sure we had a piano at home and lots of recordings of different kinds of music. It has brought me much joy.

-Showing me an example of a stable marriage and home. I feel like I’m so far ahead of the game on this one! You planted expectations in me that led me to make the choices that, I think, will bring me more joy than if I had chosen a different lifestyle. I’m also grateful for the (annoying, at the time) unhesitating and very enthusiastic partiality you showed to my potential husband, Roger. I was frustrated that you wouldn’t consider anyone else for me once you met him, but you were right—he was the best for me, and continues to be.

You gave me many more gifts than these, but these are the three which have been on my mind lately, which I can carry with me even when I am having a hard time. That is their value. They accompany me when you can’t.

On Mother’s Day, as you know, the most precious gift any mother can receive is the knowledge that she has done well in her role as a mother. Please let this be my gift to you, then. I love you. Thank you. You did well.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Our New Book is Out!


Come check out the sequel to The Mother in Me. I have three poems in this one. It's being published by a new publisher--Segullah!--so our distribution depends on word of mouth. (Purchase information is here.) If you liked our other book, please tell others about this one. Thanks!

Monday, May 03, 2010

Camilla Kimball, Lucky Dog

Sometime during the 20-or-so years that I have been in Relief Society, I have heard several times the anecdote about Camilla Kimball being such a believer in continuing education that “she continued to take college courses up into her 80’s.”

Have you heard that one?

It sticks in my head because I have always been a lover of school, and when I heard this anecdote, what I was really hearing was not an admonition but permission. I mean, it felt the same to me when I heard that as it would if someone were to say that she also ate chocolate right up into her 80’s.

What I’ve been thinking about lately is how dang lucky she was. Because she had something going for her that I don’t: much more money, special privileges, or both. I am having a dang hard time trying to figure out how to keep taking college classes. Because here’s what I’ve found: to take a class from the school of my choice, BYU, is nearly impossible. Not unfairly, seats in classes are reserved for legitimate students, not continuing ed-ers like myself. I require special permission to be allowed to even take a class. (So far, my one request has been denied because, they said, it didn’t appear that I NEEDED the class.) Oh, and assuming I could get the permission? I get to pay post-baccalaureate tuition to the tune of around $1000 per class.

Ouch.

Thank goodness there is the independent study program, which requires no special permission and is about half as much money. Still, $500 a pop is a killer. And I really, really prefer live instruction (and the deadlines that come with it).

I’ve priced other schools around here, including community colleges, and in every case I am looking at at least $500 for independent study and closer to $1000 for a live class.

How in the world could I justify such a thing, just for my own amusement? I find myself looking for excuses (“I need credit in order to renew my teacher’s license”—which is true, or “This will help me in my future career”—which limits me to writing and teaching classes but what if I want to take logic or physical science or American Heritage again?).

The answer, of course, is to craft my own instruction using books from the library, etc. I have even been known to go down to BYU and buy syllabi from classes I wish I could take and follow them. But it’s JUST NOT THE SAME.

So, anyway, I’m happy for Sister Camilla and her special permission to take classes at BYU, but don’t hold her up as an example to me because that’s candy I can’t have!