If you opened a dictionary to look up the word mother, you would find that the definition simply says a female parent. Another definition you might find is, a term of familiar address for an old or elderly woman; however, if I had to define my mother, it would be even simpler than that. She is a hero, my hero. A lot people probably say their hero is their mom, but no one means it quite like I do. She is a hero who inspires.
Growing up, my mom’s family was tight on money. She is the oldest of 4 kids with 3 younger brothers. As you can imagine, things were tough, with school and 3 brothers to keep her busy. To add to tough times, in middle school and high school, she was not exactly the coolest kid around, with her glasses and funny clothes, and she was made fun of a lot. Then, in the middle of her sophomore year of high school, her father’s job packed up the family and moved them to Lafayette, Indiana, from a small town in Minnesota. It was like things could not get much more unpleasant at that particular time.
I’ve learned a lot of things from my mom. Most have to do with how she survived her high school years and family life. She was a good student throughout her school years. Because of this, when she went back to her high school reunion, she was the most successful person career wise. She also seemed happier than all the other girls, especially the ones who had spent all their time picking on her. With this experience in mind, my mother’s favorite quote is, “Success is the best revenge.” She went through a lot, but she got through it all and came out on top.
Between switching states and schools in the middle of high school, making friends was never a problem for my mom. Making friends comes naturally to her. She says it is probably because of what she lives by, “If you do not have anything nice to say, then you should not say anything at all.” She says it a lot and to me, it is inspirational. Being able to be totally yourself in front of a whole new school of people would not be something easy. Doing that would not be considered no big deal by most teenagers and that makes her a hero in my eyes.
If you remember, I said my mom was inspirational. She is enjoys all kinds of inspirational books and speeches. She likes to attend workshops where inspirational people speak. Secretly, I think she would like or used to like the idea of becoming one, a promotional or inspirational speaker. One thing she has said a few times to me that has really stuck out is, “If you think you can, you will, and if you think you cannot, you are right.” At first it made me think, but then I realized what it really meant. It is simple, believe in yourself and you can succeed. That is what my mom has always taught me. She does not push me to do anything in particular; instead, she lets me decide what I want to do and believes, no matter what, I can do it.
Odysseus and my mother are both heroes, but in slightly different ways. Odysseus was a strong and courageous leader. That’s what made him a hero. He returned home and defeated the suitors in the end. My mom is a hero in the sense that she inspires people. She inspires me to be better and kinder to people. She also inspires me to never give up on what I want and to follow through with it until the end. They are heroes in different time periods, but heroes nonetheless.
All mothers work hard to make their children understand and get them on the right path. My mother does that and more. She guides me but does not drag me on behind her or leave me all alone with no help. Being a hero could be simple. You just have to believe in what you want do and achieve and someday you will find it in front of you. Just one of the many things my mother has taught me about life. My mom might look like your ordinary, everyday mother, but she is so much more than that. She is my hero.