Good People

Jacquie Here!

Today, I am thankful for people.
But more specifically, for people in my life who have been good examples to me. There are thousands of people who have made a difference in my life and who have been good influences on me... But today, I have thought of 5 people who, whenever I think of them, I think of how great of people they are and of how good of examples they have been to me. I want to tell you what just a few people's examples have meant to me in my life. And how THANKFUL I am for them. :)

(I'm going to TRY to keep this in consecutive order from when I was much younger to present day..)

Obviously, my mother has been a good example to me in a lot of ways..

Me & Mom in 1991.

As a kid, I was obsessed with being a princess (totally normal for a little girl). One thing my mom told me that, for some reason, I have never forgotten was, "It's very important that you be nice to everyone.. Even if they are not your friend. There's never a good enough reason to be mean to another kid at school. If you want them to vote for you to be Prom Princess when you go to High School in a few years, you need to be nice to them now!". Haha. Now, as a kid, being Prom Princess (following in my mother's footsteps ;]) was a desirable thing. And I knew she was right.. Be nice to people and they will like you. But that is OBVIOUSLY not the only reason to be nice to people. She taught me that it's important to be nice to people just because it's the right thing to do! And so, every time I am confronted with a situation where I could be less-than-nice to someone, I think of those words from my mommy. STILL. Haha. Even though the whole Prom Princess thing is no longer applicable (and I never got nominated in High School anyway! HA!).
Thank You, Mom, for that good example.


My cousin, Chloe, was a good example to me as a kid too.

Me & Chloe at EFY in 2005 (I think?)

We grew up together. Did everything together. We were the closest cousins of our generation.. Only 3 months apart. She's STILL one of my best friends. Even though I was the "older" cousin (and I never let her forget it), she was a good example to me in a few ways. Chloe taught me to not be a sissy. Haha. She was the "tougher" of the two of us (She was the Tom-Boy, I was the Girlie-Girl). I would be such a wimp sometimes. Too scared to try new things. Didn't want to get dirty. It took time, but eventually, I let Chloe teach me that I shouldn't be afraid to have fun! She taught me how to enjoy riding a two-wheel bike down the steepest hill on Mercer Island at full speed. She taught me to enjoy running and jumping off the dock at Groveland Beach Park into the cold, deep water. She taught me that, even though I am not the best at sports, to just give it a try (so she could WHOOP me - She's amazing at sports... It was always a guarantee, haha). I'm glad I learned to be a little more daring and athletic from Chloe.
Thank you, Chloe, for that good example. :)


We all have that certain point in our lives when we have to kind of decide which direction we are going to go with our choices. For me, that was in the summer before 7th grade. And just in the nick of time, when I could have followed my not-so-good friends down the not-so-good path, Lindsay Cook stepped in.

Lindsay & two of her siblings. She is the one in the middle.

This is one of the most significant memories I have of someone who was a good example to me. I don't know if I've ever even shared this with Lindsay before. I had recently moved in right across the street from her. I had a couple friends from my old neighborhood who weren't making the best of choices and I would still hang around them every now and again. But Lindsay started becoming a better friend to me than they were. And she lived right across the street, which made it easy & fun to go "play" with her! She seriously was (and is) one of the best people I know! She taught me to see the best in people. She taught me to avoid, at ALL costs, even the smallest thing that could lead to temptation. She taught me not to gossip. She taught me to honor my parents and all adults. She taught me responsibility. She taught me to LOVE the Young Women's program with all my heart. And just when I almost started putting my testimony in the back seat, Lindsay taught me that having a pure testimony is the single MOST IMPORTANT thing in my life. She taught me how to grow it, how to share it, how to love it, and how to strengthen others' testimonies. SO glad that Lindsay caught me at such a young age and at JUST the right time in my life to be able to teach me these things. She truly was "an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" and she continues to be, even though we are far apart and hardly ever speak or see each other.
Thank you, Lindsay, for that good example.


Who would my BEST FRIEND be if she wasn't included in this? Amanda Auwen a has definitely been a good example to me in our 7 years of best-friendship.

Me & Amanda at the Mesa Arts Center in 2007

Oh man. She has taught me SO much.. Too much to even list here. Amanda has taught me a lot about humility, actually. She taught me, in a very nice way, that I am not the center of the world (something we all learn at some point in our lives) and I wouldn't rather have learned that from anyone else. She taught me what it means to be in a loyal, loving friendship. We have been best friends for what feels like FOREVER and I am so happy about that! We are both each others' longest "relationship".. haha. We have more inside jokes than I have with anyone else in the world. We can read each others' minds, even over the phone. And we always joke that we are pretty much the same person - just completely different on the outside. Amanda has set the example for me to not waste money, to befriend the people who need a friend the most, to be patient, to think about decisions and what I say before I do/say it, to be happy with what you have, to love music, to LOVE the gospel even more and to have the desire to share it, to explore new styles and be creative, and to be comfortable in my own skin. You don't have to tell me.. I already know that I am SO lucky to have the BEST best friend in the universe. :) I LOVE YOU MANDA!
Thank you, Amanda, for that good example.


Even though we rarely got along as kids, my older sister Josie Martinez (formerly Hancock), has been one of the best examples to me in my life. Especially in the past 5ish years.

Me & Josie hiking in St. George, UT in 2010.

It's funny because I think back to when we were kids and we would fight about the pettiest things. I never thought then that when she moved out of the house and went off to college, we'd become SO close. But we did. I now consider Josie one of my best friends. I look up to her so much.. Which makes sense since she's my only big sister. Josie taught me to take my education seriously - that being the teacher's pet is actually a good thing and that trying your hardest is all that matters. She taught me not to be judgmental. She taught me how fun it is to cook healthy stuff! She taught me to not be so easily swayed by people who really don't have my best interest in mind. She taught me that taking care of my body is very important because it's the temple that houses my spirit and because it's the only one I get. She taught me how to be happy during the inevitable trials in life. And she taught me to be honest with myself and to not be afraid to let others know when I am uncomfortable with something. Where would I be if I hadn't learned these things??
Thank you, Josie, for that good example.


So the above are 5 people who have been significantly good examples to me in my life. And there are many, MANY more too. (And I just realized they are all women. Haha. Unintentional, I promise. Maybe I will do "Good People II: The Boys" next.. Haha.) And I don't know where I'd be without every single one of them! I'm so grateful to have good people in my life who teach me lessons and who set good examples to me. Thanks to everyone who has been a good example to me in whatever capacity at one point or another in my life.

Answer me this: What are YOU thankful for today? And who has been a good example to you in your life?

Out,
Jacquie.