Totally Fulfilled
Quite honestly, it seemed like a hundred pound weight was lifted off of my shoulders, and it never came back. My mom is one of the most beautiful women I have ever met, inside and out. She is compassionate, loving, caring, and gives up anything she has to make the people around her feel com- fortable. But my mom struggled with insecurity her entire life. She had a learning disability many years ago and did not get the atten- tion she needed to overcome it. She believed she was stupid. That limiting belief stuck with her most of her life, and I know it is the number one reason for her failed relationships. When my mom and dad divorced, my mom, at the age of 27, had two kids, no job, no financial support, no work skills, and, unfortunately, no self-esteem. She tried to handle all of this while dealing with my dad’s rage about the breakup. It was a messy, tough situation, but my mom did what she had to. She cleaned houses, helped out at a beauty salon, took odd jobs, and did every- thing she could to take care of us. We had to move often; she dated and married the wrong guys, drove junky cars, and when I was about 13, she moved out of state with her husband at the time. As I think back, even though I remember worrying about her, she did not complain, and she always showed us love uncondi- tionally. From the outside, she may not have looked like the best mom. If I hadn’t known her circumstances, I probably would have believed that exterior image, too, when I was growing up. But I know how much adversity she had to deal with, and in fact, my mom was the opposite of what she appeared to be. She was a superwoman, battling constantly for her children, and doing the best she could with the hand she was dealt. Looking back, I would not change one thing about my child- hood or my mom because they allowed me to become the person I am today. I know that watching my mom struggle for most of my young life was the main reason I wanted more out of my life. I wanted her to have a better life, too, not to struggle, and to be able to smile and mean it. Without knowing it, she gave me so many gifts—gifts that will last a lifetime.
176
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs