Prompt- Write about your hero or role model.
I chose to write about my late mother.
Bigger than the Sky
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to
persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” –Christopher Reeves
“The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who
sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. The
saint is the man who walks through the dark paths of the world, himself a
light.” –Felix Adler
“It is better to be the widow of a hero than the wife of a
coward.” –Delores Ibarruri Gomez
When you hear the word hero, you tend to think about
miraculous people who do even more miraculous things. Some people think of
celebrities, athletes, or everyday citizens who save someone’s life on the
street. While all of these people are more than capable of exhibiting heroic
traits, my idea of a hero is a little different. That’s because mine is a
superhero. This particular superhero displays a multitude of powers, ranging
from super-strength to mind reading. She always wanted a more glamorous and
exciting name, but I always thought “Mom” would suffice.
My mother died on February 24th, 2016, when she
was traveling on the entrance ramp to northbound I-29 from Mexico City Avenue.
She traveled off the roadway and overcorrected, sending herself & her truck
down an embankment. Ejected from her vehicle, she was dead on arrival. Nine
years prior to this accident, my grandmother died when a virus in her body had
spread to her heart. For nine years, I watched my mother struggle day in and
day out, not having her mom by her side. Although she was in her heart, that
wasn’t always enough. My mother constantly reprimanded me when I disrespected
her, reminding me of how lucky I still was with phrases that I tend to pettily
use today in times of jealousy like, “I wish I could talk to my mother like
that.” It takes a lot to realize how precious life is, and I am so thankful
that my mother is still teaching me that lesson today.
The textbook definition of a hero is something along the
lines of, “a
person who is admired or idealized for courage.” A hero is someone who you can
look up to in times of struggle, someone who might have gone through the same
thing you are currently dealing with. A hero is someone who you can respect,
who you care about, and who cares about you.
I
wouldn’t be able to count on all of my fingers and toes how many people told me
at my mother’s funeral, “Your mom may have been rude to a lot of people, but
she loved you and your sister more than anything in the world. She loved you so
hard and she loved you like you were the oxygen flowing through her lungs.” My
mother used to tell me different analogies to explain her love for me. She would
say, “I love you bigger than the sky.” This was my favorite because I could
tell her that the sky never ends. I could laugh at her, and call her crazy with
my first grade lisp, going on and on about how silly it was of her to think
that she could love me more than something that was eternal. Now, I realize how
silly I was, for underestimating her. My mother never let me forget she loved
me, and I hope I did the same for her.
The night that my mom passed away, I remember my sister
coming into my room and asking me to sleep in her room with her because she was
worried that I would get too upset and do something stupid. I was very close
with my mother, but I spent almost a third of the time with my mother as she
got to spend with hers, so naturally they were much closer. Looking back, I
realize how upset I was, and how upset my mother was every day for nine years.
My mom had a smile on her face as often as she could, and she rarely let others
know that something bothered her. She was one of the strongest women I ever had
the pleasure of knowing, and I cannot begin to describe how grateful I am for
the short time I had with her.
The strength that my mother displayed is a constant reminder
that I too am strong enough to get through losing her. Even her moments of
weakness taught me that it is okay to win some battles and lose some. Although
my mother was not the best at dealing with her emotions in the healthiest ways,
I have learned the “do’s and don’ts” of coping with the loss of a parent. My
mom is closer to me now than she ever was before, and remembering that makes it
so much easier to keep pushing forward and bettering myself for my own sake.
Not all superhero’s wear capes, but all of them can fly in
and out of your life in the blink of an eye.
If I were to die tomorrow and be remembered by one thing only, I would
want anyone who has ever met me to remember that it’s not about the cards
you’re dealt in life, it’s about how you play your hand. When life
hands you lemons, make lemonade. You may not have the sugar and the water you
need, and your lemonade may be bitter, but it is a beverage. Drink it, be
thankful, and stop complaining.
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