Secondary Source

My cute niece is doing a project for school - a biography about my mom (someone still alive and sane enough to recall memories). I was her secondary source.

Q1: What is your favorite memory of your mom?

Oh, what to choose! I’m tearing up just thinking back through them! I think my favorite memory is Mom making grilled cheese sandwiches late at night when Roy would get home from football practice or a game. We would all hang out in the kitchen and chat – at a time much later than I should have been up. She would make me one too, if I asked. I just loved hanging out together – no competition, just enjoying being together.

Q2: Did your mom play with you and come to activities that you were in?

Mom didn’t really play with me – that’s why I had a sister! (However, she plays AWESOME with my kids now!) BUT – she was at everything that I was involved in: choir concerts, sports games, balsa wood competitions, pictures before dances, banquets – everything! It wasn’t even a question to me; how she sat through some of those l.o.n.g. boring games, I will never know!

Q3: Did your mom ever take you on trips? where?

We did trips to visit family throughout my childhood: one summer to Utah to visit mom’s family – the next to Florida to visit Mike’s family. We just knew that alternating years was the plan. We took a few trips in high school to San Antonio to watch Roy play football and eat at the most amazing Mexican Restaurant.

Q4: Did she ever forget about something that you were in that was important to you? What was it?

She didn’t really forget, per se, but she wasn’t able to fulfill the entire day: my 16th birthday. I realllllllllly wanted to get my driver’s license that exact day (I was one of the very youngest in my grade and one of the LAST to be able to drive) and had to wait until the next day – it felt like an eternity.

Q5: Is there any memories that you can think of that were embarrassing about your mom or something that she did?

I’m sure she was embarrassing at some point growing up, but she did a great job being around but not too involved. All my friends knew her and talked to her, but I can’t remember her ever outright embarrassing me. I was always pretty proud to be her daughter! One of my favorite things was to introduce her to my friends – “this is my mom, Mrs. Doerk.” They would always do a double take. I had a friend in elementary school named Julie. She introduced my mom (Mrs. Doerk) to her mom. Her mom got so mad at her for calling mom names! It took about 10 minutes of us all convincing her that really was mom’s last name. It made it fun!

Oh, I did just think of something. If I had been on the phone for a long time (typically with a boy), she would pick up the phone and say, “Lindsey, I need to use the phone.” That was as embarrassing as it got!

Q6: When you needed help on something did she think that she knew it but turns out that was not right? What was that?

Hahaha! That would be math and English – thankfully I had Nancy around to help explain! Mom would say they didn’t teach math that far when she was in school (more was discovered and solved after she graduated); I think she just took too many days off school to ski!

Q7: Did she like to embarrasses her kids for fun? About what?

Nope – I think she was proud of us. However, if it was just family around, she, Nancy, and Jamie liked to tease me about blossoming into a woman. Punks!

Q8: Did your mom make you do a instrument that you did not want to do? What instrument?

No, she didn’t. I really wanted to take piano lessons. However, the older kids (Rusty, Nancy and Roy) took them and rebelled. She decided it was too much work to get kids to practice and it wasn’t worth the battle anymore, so she said no. However, I am taking them now and love them! My teacher loves me because I am taking them because I want to and not because I have to.

Q9: How did your mom solve sticky situations?

I don’t know. I was never in any sticky situations…I was a perfect child (at least in my mind)! However, watching her from a more grown-up position, these are the things I have seen her do:
1. Pray
2. Discuss with Mike
3. Pray
4. Get educated about the situation
5. Pray – go to the temple
6. Make decision and act on it!
She doesn’t really discuss anything ‘sticky’ with anyone, except Mike, until she’s made a decision. Then we are informed.

Q10: Whats the thing that you love most about your mom?

Her complete love for me and my children. Her dedication to do what’s right, even if she doesn’t want to. Giving her opinion about what I should do, but then supporting whatever decision that I make. (Andy likes that she trusts him with stuff.)