Survivor, Worker, Dreamer : My Mother

My mother is not gentle, feminine and full of love. My mother is tough, hard on the edges and quick on her feet. She is in survival mode on the daily.

My mother. My mother is truly like no other. My mother is a survivor.

My mother grew up in a difficult home. Her father never embraced her or patted her on the back. Her mother prefered her brother and made her feel that she wasn’t feminine enough. My mother was alone. Nobody helped her or held her hand. And when her mother lost her mind for years and insulted her incessantly. My mother stood by her side. And although she made her childhood miserable. My mother still opens her arms to my grandmother and helps her whenever she's in need.

My mother. My mother is truly like no other. My mother is a worker.

My mother paid her way through University because her father refused to. She is now the only person in her family to have earned a higher education. My mother pursued a PhD at 32 years old with 2 young children, finishing earlier than her peers. My mother is one of the most respected researchers in her field. My mother does not use the pain of her childhood to bring herself down. My mother is 52 and boxes 5 times a week. My mother works 80 hours a week. My mother’s mind is plagued with insecurities. To believe in herself every day is a struggle. Every step is difficult, every morning a challenge.

My mother is humble to a fault. She never tells her family of her successes, for she fears to make us feel inadequate. My mother wants us to find our paths without comparing ourselves to her. She pushes us, but needs us to know that our paths are our choice.

My mother. My mother is truly like no other. My mother is a dreamer.

My mother taught us that we should never live under the titles people give us or the ones we inadvertently give ourselves. “Everyone won’t believe in you at first anyway, don’t let the voices inside your mind not believe in you as well”.

When she was young she always dreamed of traveling. But the money was short, since she supported herself. But at 19 she managed to gather enough money for a plane ticket to France. From there she biked all the way to Greece. She didn't let her family situation take away from her life, her dreams.

My mother. My mother is truly like no other. She is a mother too.

One might think that with all that she has achieved she must have been an absent mother. But she wasn’t. She was there. She never missed a recital, a school show or a competition. She never forgot my birthday, Christmas or Easter. Till this day, she reads over everything I write. She takes the time, no matter how busy she is to correct my papers and send them my way.

She lifted me and helped me believe in myself. When I was stuck in a nihilistic headspace, she gave me a sense of meaning and told me that I meant something to her. She is always supporting my sister and me. My mother redefined what being a mother is. She taught all those she loved that mothers can be tough, loud and fearless. Most importantly that mothers can have an identity beyond being a mother. Mothers are inspiring women. This was my mother’s gift to me.

My mother. My mother is truly like no other. She is my mom and now she is your mother too.