My Mother, My Hero

by Angela Camera

A DAUGHTER WRITES OF HER PRIDE IN HER COLLEGE MOM'S ACHIEVEMENTS

"Ring!"  Finally it was 2:05, the bell rang, and the day was over.  I quickly grabbed my pink notebook and hurried out of the math classroom towards my locker.  I thought about which books I would need over the weekend.  It was only Thursday but I was going to get to skip school tomorrow.  I gathered everything I needed, slammed my orange locker shut, and headed towards the door.  It was beautiful out. It was one of those idealistic spring days after the long harsh winter where you could finally wear capris and flip-flops.  As I walked home I could smell the blooming flowers and hear the birds chirping in the trees around me.

When I arrived at my house, I counted the money in my black leather wallet. There was forty-two dollars and fifty cents in that wallet.  I had been saving all of my babysitting money for the past two months to buy my mom a graduation gift.  I quickly put my wallet in my bag, grabbed a cherry kool-aid box drink, and made my way towards the local Hallmark.  When I got to the store I was overwhelmed, everything was so expensive.

I slowly browsed the isles.  I needed to find something special to give my mother to show her how proud I was of everything she had accomplished and overcame. I remember when my mom made the decision to go to college, I was only nine years old, and I hated her for it. I was the oldest of four children. My youngest sister was only five months old at the time. ?"

One afternoon, before my mom was leaving for her night class I yelled,"I don't want Daddy to brush my hair before bed.  I want you to do it!  Every night I go to sleep hungry.  Why do we eat dinner at four o'clock in the afternoon

"So I can have dinner with you before my sociology class," she calmly replied. I could not believe she could ruin my life like this.  What I did to deserve this?  Why did my mom have to go back to school when none of my other friend's mothers had to?  Didn't she miss me?  I just did not understand.

Most nights my dad wouldn't even let me wait up to say goodnight to her. I begged, "Please dad let me stay up late just this night.  I won't make a habit of it I promise." "Please, just today?" He always replied the same way.  "Angela you have school in the morning and you need your rest. young lady."  I was no stupid third grader.  I quickly began to think of clever ways to trick him into letting me stay up later.   "I can not go to sleep dad!  I need to wait up for mom.  I don't understand my math homework at all. No, you can't help me with it.  It's too hard!"

As I sat in the store picking out a gift, I thought about everything my mother overcame to make it to where she is today.  Six years had past since she made the decision to go to college.  In that time, my mother had earned her undergraduate degree and was now finishing graduate school.  In my eyes, my mother is both the greatest and strongest woman to walk this earth.  She graduated from college with 3.9 GPA.  Most full time students will never see a GPA that high, but my mother achieved those grades while raising four children, under the age of ten.

As I stood in the store browsing the endless array of graduation cards I knew nothing I could buy her would show her how proud I was of her.   I could not even begin to find the words to express how much I appreciate everything she had done for me throughout my life.

I then thought about how easy going to college would be for me.  I would probably fill out a few applications and ask my parents for their credit card to pay the application fees.  Even though my mother was very bright, going to college was never even an option for her.   Immediately after her high school graduation she began working full time.  Shortly after, she began dating my dad and was soon married with children. I went to a catholic elementary school that relied on parents to work as volunteers due to a lack of proper funding.  Everyday, no matter how much homework my mother may have had, she came to my school to watch my class during our lunch break.  While pursuing her degree she still managed to find the time to make cupcakes for my class for every holiday from Halloween to Easter. In the winter of 1998, the Spice Girls took over the music scene for pre-teens all over the world.  My mom bought every single one of my classmates Spice Girl lollypops and stickers that Valentine's Day.

My mother did everything in her power to make sure my siblings and I had happy childhoods.   Despite the plethora of school work she must have had she was never too busy for her children.  I never could understand why my mom would constantly buy word processors and then return them after finishing her paper.  I now realize how tight money must have been with the six of us surviving on only my dad's salary. My mom always made sure we never knew about any of our financial problems.  Whenever my dad would complain about my mom spoiling us she would just give him that infamous warm smile that made her blue eyes glisten.

After much contemplation I finally decided on a graduation mug, a Precious Moments picture frame, and a smiley faced balloon in a graduation hat.  As I proudly paid the cashier in Hallmark, I wondered how my mom managed it all. As I sit on my laptop writing her story as a college junior, I am even more amazed then I was that spring day five years ago. My mom now works as a teacher in an inner city junior high school.  She devotes her days to helping children who are growing up in the same unfortunate situation as she did.  She recently took the LSATS and is currently contemplating going to law school.   I can barely juggle being a full time student and holding a part time job, but my mom was able to graduate and raise four children.

My mom is truly my hero.  I would never be the woman I am today without her guidance, encouragement, and love.  Whenever I'm discouraged I think of her story and realize I can accomplish anything I set my mind to.  The possibilities are truly endless for someone with a mom like mine. ------Angela Camera

 Winter 2008:
Volume II Issue 1  copyright by College Mom Magazine and Katherine Arnoldi. All illustrations on this site are by Katherine Arnoldi.