Like Roni

“I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?”

-Alma 5:19

A few years ago, a friend of mine told me that Miss Utah reminded her of me. She couldn’t describe the similarities between us. She called it a wholesome beauty. Flattered though I was, I knew there was nothing similar between me and a beauty queen. I jokingly told her that I must have been “His image in our countenance.”

Today I had a quandary. Tonight there is a ward event that I have volunteered to bring a salad to. I didn’t have the ingredients this morning. Nate is working and I would have had to pack up all four children for a quick trip to the store. That was not the problem. The real problem was the coupon. If I spent $100 in one transaction to Albertsons, I would receive a free turkey! I wanted the free turkey. But I did not want to go shell out the money for the salad ingredients today and not have it count toward my $100. So, I did the only thing I could. I packed up all the kids for a major grocery shopping adventure.

When we had only been there a few minutes, I noticed a little old lady watching me. I had that usual defensive reaction in case she was wondering why I was trying to ruin the world with my 500 offspring. I sped up and quickly turned a corner. A minute later, she was there again. She had followed me down the isle. So, I smiled at her. She watched me for a few more moments before she approached and took Chloe’s head in both her hands. I let her. It’s my policy. Everyone is allowed to admire my children. She muttered about how beautiful Chloe was and began to rub Quentin’s head. Finally, she asked how old they were. We chatted about the kids. She looked at me speculatively and then said, “You are so happy. Most women who have many small children are like this…” She grimaced her face into an almost comical, angry expression.

I told her, “I have been very blessed.”

She said, “You are Mormon?”

I was caught completely off guard by the question. I was wearing cut off jeans and a t-shirt, looking perfectly normal. I didn't have on a CTR ring or any other "Mormon indicators." I was shopping in El Paso, not Provo. I answered that I was but was unable to keep myself from adding, “That’s a strange question.”

She shook her head fervently, “No, no. It’s not. I could see it.” She then launched into a story about a little Mormon girl who had grown up in her neighborhood. She described watching this child play and knowing from the time she was very small that she was going to be an amazing mother. She told me how this little girl had met and married a wonderful man. She had three small children, now, and she was different from the other young mothers. She added, “She is happy like you. She is beautiful like you.”

I didn’t know how to respond. I don’t remember what I said. But there were shoppers gathering up behind us and it was time to get out of the isle. The sweet lady smiled at me and walked away. I continued shopping for a few minutes before the lady came back again. She said, “Do you know Roni…” She couldn’t remember the last name. But, seriously, how many Roni’s do you know? I told her I did, that she attended my ward. We talked about Roni and her children for a few minutes. There were tears in the lady’s eyes as she told me her name and asked me to tell Roni “hello.” I will tell her. I want her to know that her neighbors have seen the light of Christ in her eyes.