I Dare You To Eat It

At the end of the day, day two in New York, after her test shots had been reviewed, Elite offered Rosemary a three year modeling contract. They wanted her to move to New York as soon as she could. (She was a 16 year old cheerleader in the middle of her junior year in high school.) We told them we would let them know in the morning.

My next phone call was to a young married woman that lived in our stake (neighborhood) back home in Salt Lake City. I didn’t know her very well but I was desperate for inside information, and I needed it fast. A couple of years earlier, when I was again serving as the YW President, and sleeping in a tent up in the mountains, this beautiful, strong, bright, faithful young woman had been invited to speak to all the girls about her experiences after at least ten years of international modeling. I remember feeling really touched and impressed by her example of courage and virtue as she chose to live her standards in all situations. Back then, I had no idea that I would have one of my own daughters possibly experiencing some of the very same adventures and trials.

Knowing how many weeks she spent working in Japan and other countries, it was an amazing blessing for us that this woman happened to be in the U.S. that day, and that she happened to answer her phone, and then had the time to field my endless questions. I was standing outside the D & D Building, still trying to fit in a little work for a client, Rosie was sitting on the sidewalk , and I just poured out my heart full of questions and concerns while the afternoon masses hurried by. The young woman was completely honest about the good and the bad in the world of modeling. She patiently took the time to advise us on things we should watch out for and gave us a realistic perspective on the type of opportunities Rosie might enjoy. She had begun modeling when she was only 14 years old! And when people constantly asked her (Stake President) father, how he could ever let his daughter do such a thing, she told me how completely grateful she was that her father LET her do such a thing.

Besides all the useful details, that one idea of gratitude especially resonated with my spirit. I flat-out didn’t understand why modeling seemed like an important step in Rosie’s life but, as crazy as it sounds, it felt like a blessing and that Rosie had been uniquely prepared for the experience. All along this unusual journey I was praying for help to know what was best for our daughter. I was discussing the details constantly with my husband. We were actively seeking professional insights and information from trusted sources. Rosie and I raced around and around the subject and carefully considered and analyzing every bit of information we could find. Even the detail of our family having previously lived and worked in New York seemed like an important piece in the puzzle.