A Day Late

Yesterday was my sister Jen’s birthday. Jen is the firstborn of the Geer clan, and she wears that mantle well. Jen has always been one of my heroes. When I was growing up and being teased or throwing a tantrum, I could often depend on her to come to my defense or be the first to come into my room and try to cheer me up. As we’ve gotten older, I’ve often depended on her for sound advice and have sometimes received it unsolicited. :) When she thinks she needs to provide me with guidance, she will do so. It’s a big sister thing. And though sometimes I may bristle at her suggestions, deep down I always appreciate them and her concern for me.

One of Jen's earlier birthdays.

Jen was a brilliant director and writer even as a young girl and was in charge of many Geer family productions. She has helped her children develop a love for performing, something that is particularly neat for me as their aunt. Jen is super smart, loves to learn and is always continuing her education, is a talented photographer and singer, and once upon a time did a fantastic Madonna impersonation, although I don’t think she would consent to impress us with that talent any more. Not that she doesn’t still have a sense of humor and a sense of fun. Jen can be a complete goofball and can make us laugh so hard that sometimes one of us may lose control of his or her bladder.

The thing I love most about Jen, though, is that she is a woman of God and that she is not afraid to let the world know that she is a woman of God. A few years ago during the Christmas season, we had a girls’ day out at the theater. A few of my older nieces came with us. The movie itself was PG and completely appropriate in every way for all of us, no matter the age. But the previews . . . Well, the previews were a little racy and my mother, sisters and I were a little upset by my precious nieces being exposed to the filth on the screen. There was a lot of eye-covering going on. We were all dismayed, but Jen actually did something. She jumped up from her seat and marched up the movie theater aisle with such a look of righteous indignation. She went and talked to the manager to complain about the previews being shown. Now, Jen didn’t change the world with her actions that day. If you’ve been to a movie lately, you know that the previews are often not appropriate for all age groups and often not at all appropriate for the movie they are running in front of. But I’ll never forget that look on Jen’s face or the fact that she actually took action. It made an impact on me. So often we complain about the world crumbling around us, but how often do we try to do something about it? Jen was a great example to me that day.

Dad and Jen: Two of my favorite people in

one of my favorite pictures of all time.

And she is always a great example to me. I love how much Jen cherishes motherhood and how fervently she loves her husband and children. She makes mistakes, as we all inevitably do, but she is so devoted and so dedicated to her family, to providing them with the very best that life has to give – not worldly wealth (what is that? Nothing!), but with a knowledge of the gospel, a knowledge of things as they really are, a love of learning and of learning the truth, an appreciation of beauty through nature, art, music, theater, great literature and simple acts of kindness, the value of hard work and of good health. She is deeply concerned with helping her children reach their potential and have happiness that will persist in this life and the next. She places a high value on being a mother and understands that being a mother is part of her eternal nature and eternal blessings as a woman.

My sister, Jen, is one of my favorite people. I miss her dearly and wish I could see her more often. Happy Belated Birthday, firstborn of my father and mother. May you have a blessed and happy year.

She's a model.