Tribute to My Mother

Tribute to My Mother

"Respect is something that is earned when no one is looking." Michael Jordan made this statement about Derek Jeter, but this can be used to describe other people as well, like my mom. When I'm sick, sad, or just want to talk to someone, she is always there. She is smart, hard working, sometimes too honest, but honest, and giving.

From the moment I was born my mother and I had a strong connection. She is the only reason that I am able to have the life that I have today. She persevered through all of the obstacles to have a child at 18 and was still able to go on with her own life. She had the strength to keep going when everything was against her. She's a fighter for what she believes; I guess that's where I got my will and determination to excel in school. My mom is always there when I need help. I remember when I was five I was in a beauty pageant and I was really shy. I didn't want to talk to the judges, let alone talk to a whole audience. I started crying, but my mom rushed to my side and talked for me. I didn't win first place in that competition, obviously because I wouldn't talk, but my mom was gracious enough to help me. The outcome never mattered, what mattered is that I tried, and that was good enough for my mom. Today, if I need help with anything, I always go to my mom, whether its school, finances for school, or just life.

I said my mom was hard working, and I do mean hard working. After she had my siblings and I, she went back to school. She worked a full time job, took care of things around the house, and went to night classes at DCC, all while taking me to and from practices and taking care of two younger children. Once she obtained her Associates and Bachelor Degrees, she went on to get her Master's. She spent sleepless nights doing schoolwork. She would again, work a full time job, handle young children, and stay up all night doing homework, every day. I can remember waking up in the middle of the night and I could hear her at the computer typing away. She never quit; she tried to do what was best for her family and herself by going to school and obtaining college degrees. After only a year in college working a part time job I found out how stressful course work can be, and after taking a semester of online classes, I can tell just how stressful it must have been for her to take a full course load online, especially having to do it when exhausted from a full days work. I could not have done what she did because it is so hard to keep up with school and work and everything else. Now, my mom has a great job as the Head of the Human Resource Department at her work. We always joke that the only job she really has is talking because you can never get her on the phone, and when you ask what she was doing, ninety-nine percent of the time, she was talking to someone. But that really is just a joke, she is very serious about her work, getting it done on time, and getting it done correctly. There have been countless weekends, holidays, and such where she sits at her and continues to work from home. It's almost as if her work never really ends.

Now, I said my mother was honest, very honest. She never does anything that she can't say that she did herself. Whether it is school, work, or just an opinion, she does things with honesty and integrity. There have been countless times when I have asked her a question that I didn't really want