A Woman to Look Up To: My Mom

"To me, she is a soldier that has been battling all her life and I think she is still battling for the future of her daughters."

By Blanca Garcia

When people ask me who my favorite woman idol is, most of the time I take forever to answer because I really don’t have a favorite one. I usually reverse the question and ask them who their favorite woman idol is; and most of the time they answer a famous writer, poet, or musician. I think to myself, “Why is that person their idol? What has that person done for them?” Finally, I tell them that my favorite woman idol is my mother. After hearing my answer, people ask me why my mom is my idol and I tell them straight up: I look up to my mom because she has broadened my horizons.

My mom came from Mexico at the age of 13 without knowing how to speak English. As the second born child and oldest girl in the family, she had many responsibilities because in the Mexican culture the women in the family are supposed to do the cooking, cleaning, washing, drying, ironing, and the rest of the house hold duties.

My mother finished high school and started going to a community college. After a while, she dropped out and started working for a major non-profit organization named La Clinica de la Raza. I think that the main reason she decided to do this was that she didn’t really know where she wanted to go in life, so she decided to help others.

I admire my mom for being able to put up with three teenagers whose moods change every five minutes, for being the main supporter of our family, for dealing with her family issues, and also for being able to get through those nights when my dad is stressing because of his classes. Mostly, I admire my mom because she has given everything she possibly can so that I can have something better for my life.

My mom and I get along pretty well except for those mother-daughter arguments that happen every once in a while. I can talk to her about some of the issues that I am having in my life, and she tells me almost everything that is going on with my aunts and uncles. Even though my sisters and I don’t really get along, I try to do my best to help out around the house and stay out of everyone’s way.

My mom does many things for my sisters and me. She makes sure that we get the opportunities to do things that she was not able to do when she was young. To me, she is a soldier that has been battling all her life and I think she is still battling for the future of her daughters. She is always willing to give more than what I have, so that I can explore the world as an adult.

When I finally finish explaining why I admire my mother so much, many people tell me that what I have said about my mother is very strong, and that not many people consider their mother as an idol in life. So, for all those people who think their mother is the worst mother in the world: I challenge you to think of another person in the world who has been there for all your life.