Many people have influenced my life. Whether they be friends, family, or even acquaintances, they have all affected me in some way. However there is one person who has influenced me the most.

Growing up, I was babied a lot by my mother. I would do something bad, get grounded, then be lifted of that grounding in less than an hour. My father said this was a bad thing and I needed to be disciplined. He said I would grow up to be disrespectful and that I would not listen to my elders. That did not happen. Probably because something drastically changed my life.

As a child, I thought my family was perfect and nothing could happen to ruin it. I was wrong. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was my seventh grade year when my parents started fighting. I could not get away from the yelling. My sister and I could hear it in our room. We went downstairs to see what was happening. It was nothing huge but they started to tie my future into the fight. My dad was telling me about the family business and how he hoped it would not be affected by this. This incident taught me that not everything in life is fair.

My mom started to pack her stuff the very next day and eventually moved out. She moved into an apartment that I did not like at all. This taught me that I have to sometimes do things that I do not like, nor agree with. From living in town, I also learned to do things on my own. I grew up a little by living in town. I acted more like an adult and tried to be scared less. I started riding my bike to school alone.

A couple of months passed by and I was still in the apartment. My mom gave me the option to move back in with my dad, but I declined. I stayed strong-willed like she was and refused. After about six months, I felt my parents were getting along better. I learned that nothing was set in stone and that things can change, till one day, my thought was changed.

It was an average Sunday, like every Sunday. The only thing different was that there was a wedding. My mom loved weddings and I hated them, so I went to make her happy. Again, doing something I did not like. This drastic day, changed my life forever. My mother passed away at the reception because of a massive heart attack.

I moved back in with my dad and took on the old life style. Not the completely old style because I still lived the way my mom taught me to live. I grew up and did things I did not want to do. I took responsibility for myself because I no longer had a mother to do so for me. I also have to live in a place that I wished I did not have to live in.

Growing up without a mother was fairly difficult and it changed my life significantly. I had to learn to be a responsible young teen that only one person could teach me. These influences will continue to help me throughout the rest of my lifetime.