And another one leaves the teens….

And leaving the teens with a bang – the same way he is leaving behind his “Elder Fiore” days . We are excited to have him home in less than 2 weeks! I think that missions put you on a fast track into adulthood, so while Zach is getting out of his teen years only now, I think his progress into adulthood started a little while ago!

I’m sure I will write a post about my thoughts about his mission when he returns, but for now I will say that there are many things I admire about Zach that really radiated through when he was serving. Here are a few ( in no particular order)

• I love that he is a connector. He wants to connect. He wants to share his life. He wants to know about others. He wants to be a part of something bigger. He wants to serve. He wants to talk. He wants to listen. He strive to be in tune with the Spirit.

• He has a sincere desire to be better and is open to feedback. And sometimes my feedback is “chill, you are awesome the way you are” and sometimes it is “buck up, bunny”, lol. I love that he is concerned about learning the most that he can, making sure he is appreciating things, and wanting to improve. I love that he can listen to feedback – evaluate it – push back when he doesn’t agree, but accept when he knows it is helpful and coming from a good place.

• He is so so so funny. He makes us all laugh. In letter, in person; alone, in a group; as Zach or as Elder Fiore. He has some serious funny bones in him. Ridiculous boy.

• He is smart. He has a natural desire to learn and he will put the effort in to learn. He has a thirst for knowledge and will dig deep to get it and gain understanding. Then he tries to use it – so he won’t forget it!

• He is kind and considerate. He is always wanting to know how you are doing, how others are doing, if there is something he can do to help. He is very compassionate too – and I have seen his level of compassion and empathy soar while on his mission.

• He is a big dreamer. He is a goal setter. He is a planner. He goes after what he wants. He is determined to make it happen. Success for him is inevitable.

• He is a hard worker. He is willing to put effort in. He will not shy away from things that are hard, he will put the hours in and he doesn’t like to be idle.

• He is fun and interesting. He is interested too. You will not find him saying he’s bored. He will create adventures. He enjoys doing things – whether it is sports, or games, or travel, or any new adventure, he likes to enjoy himself in doing.

• He is savvy and wise. He gives good advice. He is a good listener. He is not afraid to give the unpopular opinion. He thinks things through, weighs out the pros and cons. He apologizes. He forgives.

• His faith. I love how his faith is so interwoven in his life. He is not afraid to share how he feels about his Saviour or the Gospel. He is not afraid to embrace other people’s point of view either. He is a great example of Christ like love as he tries to love and accept all – even those who differ with him. (But that does not mean he won’t try to talk to you about it all!)

I know it is cheating by adding one more, but the one thing about Zach I have truly admired is his complete authenticity. It doesn’t matter who you are – you get Zach. You see it in his weekly mission email to everyone (sometimes I cringe at some of the things!) , with his friends, with his family. His mission president, his companions and the people in his missions – both Tahiti and Calgary. You are always getting the same Zach. You know where you stand. You know where he stands. And you see his love shine through it all.

Happy birthday to this incredible boy I am blessed to be a Mom too. I can’t wait to see what you will continue to teach me. Thank you for continuing to invite me into your life and leading the way on so many things.

Happy 20th! Love you more!

Love,

Mom