Three-minute speech by Kelly Ballard – 9 January 2020
“What Being A Mother Means to Me”
When the nomination came, I just giggled – me? Who can hardly get dinner on the table? Who burns toast, forgets carpool, and my house always looks “lived in?” I sure try my best but there is alot more I could do.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized, that’s what’s being a mother is all about. Trying our best and showing up Everyday. Some days it might be with tears in our eyes or in our pajamas. Other days it might be with our game face on. But the point is – we show up.
Ballard Family – Mike, Joey, Kelly, and Karly
Motherhood became a passion for me long ago. I expected to be good at all the traditional things – cooking, cleaning, perfectly disciplining and so forth. When it soon became apparent many of these were not my strengths, I had to dig deep and figure out what I was good at and apply that to being a mother. I am good at talking. I am good at listening. And I am good at creating safe places. And that is what I wanted for my children. A safe place to land. A peaceful place to be after a hard day in the world. A sacred refuge from the harsh realities that would come EVERY SINGLE DAY.
A safe place to me doesn’t always mean a cushy place. Safe can be disciplined – that makes it secure. Safe can be bold – that makes it consistent. Safe can be emotional – that makes it real. To make a safe home you don’t need to be perfect, but you do need to be consistent so they can depend on you. Smile (genuinely), listen to their chatter (alot), offer plenty of snacks for them to gather and eat (store bought or homemade), and be present (any time of the day). Projects can wait. Cleaning can wait. Getting to bed early can wait. But having a chance to hear about their first kiss, or how they found a new friend at school? That’s priceless.
As I have worked hard to make our home a safe place for not only my children and husband, but for all the friends and family who enter in it, I have found my greatest joy and deepest meaning. This is what it means to me to be a Mother. And I am so grateful for the journey it has given me.
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Memories of the Event
Dori Bowman, Utah 2nd Vice President, and Kelly Ballard
Friends – Kenna Flanders, Jordan Price, Kelly Ballard, and Chris Price