Seminary Graduation...Way to Go Emily!

Wow.  I never knew how stressful it would be to get Emily to the finish line of school.  On Sunday was Seminary graduation.  We were all holding our breath as she pushed to make up her tardies so she could graduate from Seminary.  I am so proud of Emily for graduating.

She not only graduated from seminary, but in order to fit Seminary into her schedule she had to take early morning seminary.  I remember trying to do that my senior year and dropping out and taking it during the day because it was just SO hard to get up that early.  I noticed some of her friends were missing from the ceremony. Which means they didn't have the stamina to push through the four years so they could graduate from seminary. Which is just another witness of what to me of how much dedication it took for her to finish seminary.

I was a bit teary-eyed as they handed her, her certificate.  I am so blessed to have the privilege to be her mother.  I know by paper she is my stepdaughter but there is no way she is a step.  She in every way is my daughter.  Steve and I married when she was only 5 and she has lived with us most of her life.  So she in every way is my daughter.  

While I was sitting there during the program my mind flashed to a picture I remember of Emily when she was about 8.  This small little girl was standing with her hand on her hip and she had a look of determination in her eye.  Although her body was small and skinny, it in no way does describes her spirit.  She is strong and immovable.

My mind also reflected on a time when she helped Sadie.  It was when Sadie was in 3rd grade there was a boy that walked the same way they did on the way home.  Often he  would say cruel and crude things to her on the way home.  One day Emily was walking with Sadie.  This boy made crude and cruel comments to Sadie.  Emily (her being in 6th grade) stood up to that bully for her sister.  She let him know he could not talk to her sister that way.  And if he didn't stop he would have her to deal with.  

This small girl had great courage.  The boy probably could have beat her up but her determination saved her sister and after that Sadie was not bothered again by the boy.   She had more strength and courage than someone three times her size.

That is the young woman I see as Emily is growing up.  She is growing up to be a beautiful woman.  Emily's mom is completely inactive and lives a life opposite to our standards.  Yet Emily has made the gospel her number one priority.  She has found friends to pick her up so she can go to church on her mom's weekends.  When we have counseled her she has tried to live our standards at her mom's too.  Often if we counsel with Emily, she will follow our counsel.  She has had many opportunity to choose a life opposite to the gospel but she has found her testimony and stays true to it.  I am so, so proud of her.