Respectful, responsible, modest, and brave; these are all things that describe my mom. She took care of her four younger siblings, did all the household tasks, and made most of the meals. She had a pretty tough childhood and she kept her head held high through it all.

In the first few years of her life my mother moved to México City, which is where my grandparents are originally from. They had become homesick, and wanted their children to experience their Mexican heritage. After they lived there for about three years, Alberto, my grandfather, was offered an employment by a corporation that was back in Chicago. This job paid a great deal more than his current career, so my mom was forced once again to say adieu to all of her friends, and go with her family to move back to where she came from. I have experienced this, and it is not something that I would like to experience again. Even at her youthful age, she understood that she had to show respect towards her parents, and go willingly to her new home. This is one of the ways she is similar Odysseus. She respects her parents, and he respected the gods.

Along with the move, she had three other little obstacles all throughout her life. They were her sisters. Every time Dawn’s fingertips of rose spread out across the sky, she would have to make them breakfast, and prepare their lunches. My mom was solely relied on supervising them during most of the day. This was because; both of her parents had occupations, and would not return home until it was dinner time. My mother actually did not have a childhood, because it basically ended at age eight when her parents left the accountability of taking care of her sisters on her. She had to complete all the chores, along with taking care of her siblings. My mom also had to sleep on the couch every night, because all of the beds were filled with her sisters. And on top of all that she doesn’t remember ever being thanked, not even once; for all that she had to have done everyday. It takes great morals to take on that kind of responsibility.

Though she had not received thanks, she had; however, received disciplined. Like every great hero she messed up once in a while, and like them, she had to pay the price. Alberto grew up in a time when parents were allowed to discipline their children however they liked. He; however, did not make the right choice, and chose physical actions to chastise his children. The way he handeled discipline definitely helped to shape the person my mother is today. She doesn’t like violence and says that “violence should always be the last resort.”

Like anyone who has been hassled for a while they eventually become sick of it. My mother was one of these people. One day at the age of thirteen, after she had been punished she had gathered up the courage to say to her mother “if he touches me again, then I’ll leave forever”. Whoever is that valiant to stand up to their parents like that, especially after what she had been through, deserves to be called a hero.

Much later on in her life, she took care of her parents. After the way they had treated her I wondered why she would want to care for them. She said that it was because she loved them. They had provided her with a roof over her head, and food on the table, so that was good enough for her. I know that if somebody acted like that to me then I would try and forgive, but I would never forget. She has successfully done both and forgave her parents. She truly cared about them, and they her; just like Odysseus and his loyal servants who he spared. It is true that he did not forgive all of his servants, but they were not all loyal to him, and back then if a person was disloyal then they would be put to death.

My mom is my hero, even though that, when I asked her if she thought as herself as a hero, she answered, “No, I fail in comparison to Jesus; who is the ultimate hero.” She is my inspiration, for she is extraordinarily brave, modest, respectful, and responsible. She tries to be the finest she can, and her finest is excellent for me.