my husband, Jaron Hughes:
This guy has influenced me since the day we met (which was 6th grade). I don't know why, and I don't know how.. but he has always made me want to be a better person. He makes me want to be good. I remember in school if I was ever doing something stupid, I never wanted to face Jaron or have him know about it because I would feel bad. You know, like the way you don't wanna face you parents. Weird, right? I just never wanted to disappoint him. Jaron is definitely something else.
I think overall I'm a good person- and that I owe to Jaron. He makes me a good person, and he's my example so that I can become a better person.
my parents.
Well duh, these people have influenced me.. I mean come on, they raised me. The one thing I am most thankful for is that my parents taught me and raised me in the gospel. I am sure it wasn't easy, but I now have the blessing of the gospel in my life and I owe that to them for being righteous people. I also am so grateful that they love me and Jaron and Grant! (They especially love Grant ;))
Brother Garner, my seminary teacher.
I would have to write a whole other blog post about all the things I learned from Brother Garner in seminary. For the first two years of high school I faithfully ditched seminary. I thought it was stupid and a waste of time because I already knew everything about the gospel and didn't want to sit and learn about the same thing over and over again every day. Brother Garner taught me that I did NOT know everything about the gospel and he taught me that it definitely wasn't stupid. Brother Garner taught me to love seminary- and by doing that he taught me to love the gospel, and by doing that I learned to know my Savior, and by doing that I learned how to feel the spirit, and by doing that I wanted the spirit with my every day, and by doing that I made better choices, and by doing that I was able to become worthy to go to the temple, and by doing that I was married in the temple and by doing that I was sealed into my own forever family and by doing that now I have a son that I can teach to love the gospel too! So there you go everyone- the influence and power of one teacher.
Emilee Rappleye (Hanberg)
This girl taught me that you shouldn't have to be anyone but yourself. Even if that self is totally weird! I remember in elementary and middle school I tried to fit in with different groups of friends by trying to act like them. The summer before my freshman year in high school I (thankfully) met Emilee, and she taught me that being myself is good enough. I remember in high school we'd run around laughing and giggling like weirdos, and we received lots of looks from people that said, "I want to beat you both up so bad right now." But Emilee taught me NOT to care- and to be what makes you happy.
Yvette Tait
This friendship is rather new, but it feels like it has lasted a lifetime and a half. This woman is a true best friend. She is a perfect example of Christlike love and friendship. I remember I wanted a baby so bad and was upset because it was taking me so long to get pregnant- well Yvette and I bonded and became great friends because we were pregnant at the exact same time and we had our babies within days of each other- I will always thank my little Grant for coming when he did. He and Heavenly Father must have known how much I needed Yvette.
Elder Jefferey R. Holland
For some reason whenever I have gone through something terribly difficult in my life, it is the words from this man that have spoken the comfort that I needed. Every. single. time. I think of every trial I have ever gone through- and it has always been a quote from him, or a talk from him, or a mormon message from him, that has gotten me through it. If I were ever to meet this man I think I'd fall down and cry and thank him for something that he doesn't even know he did.
Which makes me think that I don't even know what I'm going to do when I meet the Savior. I might cry and fall down so hard that I go right through the clouds.
Speaking of him...
my savior, Jesus Christ
He has always been by my side and I know He always continue to be. He suffered and died for me. He prepared the way home. My way home.
President David A. Anderson
I will always cherish the time that he was my bishop. I will also always cherish the meetings Jaron and I would have with him every Sunday after church. He spoke so many words of wisdom to us that I hold tight as we venture through this journey of marriage. But the one thing that influenced me the most was that one meeting when I heard him say the words..
"You're worthy. You can get married in the temple."
my son, Grant Lincoln Hughes
This little man is just..........a gift. He is like my own little angel sent from heaven. Grant knows me. Sometimes when he looks at me with his big bright eyes, I can just see... everything. I know why babies can't talk... because we totally wouldn't be able to handle everything that they know! I look into his eyes and I see heaven in them. I can see and know and feel that he was just there. Sometimes I think that the last person that hugged him in heaven was Heavenly Father, then He sent him down to me, and I was the first person to hold him here on earth. So when I hold him, in a way, I feel that Heavenly Father sent me a warm embrace through Grant.
Megan Lindow
This girl taught me that just because you aren't family.. doesn't mean you aren't family! If someone were to be my sister or like a different version of me, it would be her! When I was at college Megan was like my family. I didn't talk or hang out with her all the time but we always got together when we needed each other or for other important events like General Conference ;) Megan just always knew how to bring this comforting familiar spirit with her, and I am so glad to know her! We have spent more time apart than we have together- but we are still just like family.. just like sisters! She came down this weekend for Grant's baby blessing and after almost more than two years we were reunited at last! She will always have a special place in my heart and I wanted to cry (seriously.) when she left.
love,
Carmina Joy