Lucy Ann Smith Crane

AKA: The greatest mom in the world. This is kind of a huge undertaking to start with this great lady because they really don't come much better than her. I look up to my mom in more ways than I can count. Every time someone asks, "who do you know that is a good example of (insert good quality here)?" Without fail, the first person that comes to my mind is my mom. She exemplifies absolutely everything that I want to be.

I am so grateful for the way that my mom raised me. I have such a hard time in my FCD classes when we are talking about things that our parents did that weren't so great, or things that we saw in their parenting styles that we have vowed to never use on our own children. I can never contribute to these conversations. In my eyes, my mom was and is the perfect parent and I wouldn't change a thing. I have learned a lot about parenting in the last few years and a lot of times it makes me think that my mom must have a secret PhD in parenting. She does it perfectly.

I am, of course, grateful to my mom for everything she did and taught me while I was growing up. Some of  my favorite memories of her are of when she was taking care of me when I was sick. There is no better nurse. She is the perfect paper editor, the most selfless server, and her ability to remember things and always be on the ball amazes me. Simple as it may be, I always loved those times when I would briefly mention to her that I needed something like more hairspray on my way out the door, and when I got home from school there was a new bottle in my bathroom for me. I was always grateful that I never had to be one of those kids left sitting on the grass outside the elementary school because my mom got too busy and forgot to come pick me up. In both big ways and small, she has never let me down.

More than all of the countless things that she has done and still does for me, I am grateful for the relationship that I have with my mom. I have always been close to my mom but the older I get, the better friends we become. I still need her in her mom role, but she is incredible at the best friend role as well. I can't think of a single thing about me (or my friends) that my mom doesn't know. I tell her everything and there isn't an easier person for me to talk to. I know I can go to her with anything and she will always know exactly what to do or say. We never went through a typical teenage phase where we didn't see eye-to-eye or I felt like she didn't understand me. I have always valued my mom's opinions over anyone else's and trusted her to do what was best for me; and I have never been wrong in that.

My mom has been through a lot and she is hands-down one of the strongest women I know. I am so grateful for her spiritual strength as well and its influence on my life. I am so glad that she had the faith to be baptized into the LDS church when she was 16 so that I could be raised in a family that embraces those values and will be together for all eternity.

I am so grateful for the endless support that my mom gives to me and my siblings. She never misses a game, a match, a concert, a play, a recital, a clogging competition, or anything else that comes up. No matter what we are doing she is watching and cheering us on (and, of course, thinking we are the best ones there). I don't think I would be able to go to school so far away if I didn't know that, despite how hard it can be sometimes, I have the full support of my mom. I know that no matter what I do, she will always be proud of me and want the best for me.

I could go on for hours about the endless reasons why my mom is my biggest hero. In my eyes she is absolutely perfect and I love every second that I get to spend with her. She is beautiful and loving and funny and helpful and supportive and my very best friend. She will be lucky if she finds a guy who I think comes even close to being good enough for her. She's the best and deserves the best.

Thanks for everything Mom. I love you.