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My Mother's Garden

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My Mother's Garden

My Mother's Garden

Janeen Wright was born in Santa Ana, California.  At the age of 10, her father's employment moved them to Mesa, Arizona where she graduated from Westwood High School. Janeen received an academic scholarship to college and holds a Bachelors Degree in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Psychology. She has served as a leader, teacher and inspirational speaker in many states including Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Utah. She is also an accomplished marathon runner. Janeen currently resides in Arizona with her husband, Jack and their five children, where she continues to serve and instruct students, youth groups, children's organizations, and various service committees throughout the valley.  Janeen is the 2009 Arizona Young Mother.  'My Mother's Garden' was the three minute speech given by Janeen at the 2009 AMI National Convention in Portland, Oregon. 


 
My Mother kept a garden,
a garden of the heart,
She planted all the good things
that gave my life it's start.

She turned me to the sunshine
and encouraged me to dream,
Fostering and nurturing
the seeds of self-esteem...

And when the winds and rain came,
she protected me enough--
But not too much because she knew
I'd need to stand up strong and tough.

I am my Mother's garden.
I am her legacy-
And I hope today she feels the love
reflected back from me.
40 years ago, my mother planted me in the greenhouse of her family where I was nurtured in a warm, stable climate. And I grew like a weed! In fact, the other day a 5 year old boy looked up at me and blurted, “You are a LONG Lady!”

OH MY! Not only did I grow Tall in stature, but In my Mother’s Garden my soul was fertilized with EXAMPLE and FAITH. And I developed Tall in Spirit, Service, Loyalty and Compassion.

Now I have a garden. There’s nothing like the joy I feel when my flowers push open a new petal and shout, “Surprise!” I love to sit with them in the sun and imagine what they will someday become.

Lady Bird Johnson declared, “Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them,” But, every farmer knows,without hard work, nothing grows but weeds. So I dig deep to plant each seed in Family Values. I anchor my saplings in good teachings to help them rise up true; “As the Twig is bent, so the tree grows.”

I expect each child to grow Tall! Tall in Integrity. Tall in Faith and Community. I know: “If I Stand Tall for nothing, they’ll fall for anything.” And when it rains, I ask God to remember my crops. Then I open my umbrella, pull on my boots and get to work.

Indeed…

I am my Mother’s Garden
I am her legacy
And I hope my children feel her love—
Reflected back through me.











Posted on Tue, March 2, 2010 by Janeen Wright filed under