The kind of person ..

There are a lot of people in this world I want to be more like. My brother Jon. My mom. My dance teacher. Ashley. My whole dance class. Sometimes, I look at people and think, man. I wish I could be like that. The biggest example of this is, of course, the Savior. Right now in one of my institute classes, we are studying the New Testament and it is hitting me more than ever just how perfect He really was. Isn't amazing that we can be like that too, someday? I think it is. This post, however, I want to talk about someone in particular in my life that I wish I was more like--my aunt Ardis.

Ardis has always been a friend to me, for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, she lived in Arizona, but I remember emailing her, back and forth. I was always so excited to talk to her; I would spend what felt like forever to little girl me painstakingly typing out a few precious sentences about what was happening in my life. I looked forward to her emails a lot. We even had nicknames for each other.

As I grew older, Ardis started having more kids and moved back to Utah. I sure love her kids, always have. If I turn out to be half the mother that Ardis is to her kids, the my own children will turn out alright. My senior year of high school, I got in the habit of stopping by her house whenever I had time on the way to dance, to see Makayla. Their house always had an open invitation extended to me. I took advantage of that even more so when I left for college. I would come back three times a week from Orem to go  to dance. There were many days when I would come back and be early. Without enough time and gas money to go all the way home and back to my studio, but not wanting to sit in my car, I would end up at Ardis's. I also would sometimes leave early on purpose, just so I'd have time to stop by their house.

When I broke up with Ben, everyone was there for me with a waiting ear and ready to say they were there for me. I did feel very loved, but the one I called and asked if they could talk was Ardis. I knew she would understand and I knew very much that she cared; I also felt comfortable talking with her. She had found ways to be involved in my life before this and had let me know that she wanted to know about my life. That's just the kind of person she is.

Ardis has so many traits that I want to have someday.

She is such a good mother. You see that in all the little things she does with and for her kids. You also see it in the way her kids behave, and how much they all love her. One of the reasons I so much love spending time at her house is that when I am there, I get to see that.

She is the perfect person to talk with. She gets excited about all the right things, understands when things are tough, and gives the best advice. One of my favorite things about talking with Ardis is that she always tells me about her life, about her experiences. And she always leaves me with something new to think over in regards to whatever it is we were talking about. One of my very favorite things in the world are the talks I have with Ardis.

She gives so much. She gives to her kids, to her family, to everyone. I don't know that I could even name one selfish thing I have seen her do. She is always thinking of others and what she can do for them and how she can include them. She is such a great example to me of charity.

There are lot of things that Ardis says and does which impress me. More than that though, there is a something deeper. All the little actions and words come from an attitude towards life and others that is hard to explain. All I know is, I can recognize it in Ardis and I hope to one day recognize it in myself. I'll be successful in my life if I can become the kind of person my aunt Ardis is.