Many of us have a long list of memories, a slew of childhood or present stories and experiences that we feel are relevant to who we are at this present moment. Some of these instances can be positive or negative, however we wouldn’t be who we are unless we went through those obstacles in life. There are many events in my life that I feel shaped me into the woman I am today but specifically it would be watching my mother take on the roles of many while managing her main role as mom. She may not know this but shadowing her has allowed me to pick up and respect her independence, patience, and possession of a loving spirit. I am the baby girl of six children and the remaining are all males so you can only imagine how tough that would be for a mother, but she wore her superhero cape at all times. She raised us all on her own and made it look easy. This is where I picked up on her independence trait. I witnessed my mom do it all and there were times she’d be told no and to, “do it yourself” and she often did do just that. Often, she’d reflect that same lesson on me and tell me “put your big girl pants on” just so I’d have the confidence in knowing I could do things myself as well.

My mother displayed before me, the definition of independence and my hat has been off to her since I reached the age of understanding. Living in a house of seven, patience is key. My brothers were all heavily involved in sports. They were rough and dangerous; I guess just being boy. We all have different personalities, so that comes with differences and which result in disagreements and fights. The boys were boys and always hurt and banged up so I spent most times watching my mom handle each delicately as a doctor would with the upmost patience. If my mother could do everything, managing a household of six all on her own I should have no excuses. Respect was one of the first words I learned to spell and understand. My mom held no tolerance for disrespect no matter who or what the case was. Later she led me on to understanding when you give respect that respect come back to you. She raised us all to respect each other’s time, space, and differences. Respect others by watching your words, tone, and body language. I learned everyone wasn’t raised with such beliefs and that’s fine but when dealing with who I am today, if the conversation is to continue, there’s going to be a understanding of respect and how it goes both ways before it gets too far. My mother deserves a medal for her commitment to being the best woman and mom she can be, and I don’t think I’m being biased when I give her the credit I do. Truthfully, there’s no amount of credit I this lifetime that could come close to what she deserves. There have been countless amounts of times where I wanted to give up after many failed attempts and discouraging moments, but I used my mom as a reference and motivation to keep myself levelheaded and going. A mothers’ influence on there child(ren) holds more weight in that kids’ life than you can imagine so to have someone as light hearted, kind, patient, transparent, and independent as my mother is the most amazing feeling in the world. My mom didn’t aim to be a role model, her main focus was to raise my siblings and I the best way she knew how, with what she learned through her parents and preparations based off the shock of her own experiences. I couldn’t thank my mother enough for passing her work ethic and dedication on to me, especially during times like today. I’ve been tested on my patience and dedication the last six-months. Remaining calm in hectic situations is a talent and gift I received from my mother. With having switching schools and moving back to my home state mid-semester, things get complicating and frustrating. I didn’t want to even think about another class once I finished my summer classes, because the toll the previous weeks took over me prior to such. If my mom weren’t there to comfort and remind me daily what I’m working towards, I would’ve lost it. Having to change your whole life routine unexpectedly, hasn’t been the easiest and I think I’m speaking from everyone’s perspective. My mom has made no signs of frustration yet due to all the changes lately, she just adapts and keeps it moving which I admire so much. Having to remain calm in situations because you have younger generations looking up to you must be so draining and comment her for doing such for so long. Watching her all my life and still struggling to figure out how she does it will always be a challenge for me, but I’ve mastered it to some point. My mom teaches me lessons and gives me that guidance every day and I thank her so much for it.

Within life comes many obstacles and you either fall under or rise above. My mom taught me dedication is more about self-decline than any other behavior. You have to want something within this life for the better of yourself. No one can do things for you forever nor want it for you, with that being said I keep the circle going within myself. I think it’s safe to say I wouldn’t be the young woman I am without my mother’s influence. She’s a role model, leader, and my most favorite, a Mother. I can only wish to pass down such great qualities and teachings my mother gave to me, to my later kids. They say, “you’ve never helped someone until you’ve helped someone who can’t help you back”, and my mother can truly say she’s helped someone.