Mi mama nunca se cansa/my mom never gets tired. by Katerine

Mi mama nunca se cansa/my mom never gets tired. by Katerine - May 2024 Scholarship Essay

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had many good examples of leadership. Leadership is being up to a challenge, inspiring others, and having the bravery to go first. The person who gave me the biggest example of leadership was my mami. She took action whenever anyone needed help, always knew what to do, and led my family happiness. I never had to look up to Barbie or a superhero. Why would I? I had my mami, who even to this day, I look up to the most in this world.

My mom had me at a fairly young age. You would think that at that age she would be out with friends having a blast. Instead, she worked, took care of the house, and always made sure that my dad and I were well taken care of. She was the one in charge of me as a child, as my dad was working two jobs to make sure we had everything we needed. She never complained, even when she was tired from work. She would still put my shoes and jacket on to go to the park. Even when all she wanted to do was sleep. She put all that aside and took me to get an ice cream, because to my mom, all that tiredness didn’t matter. What mattered to her was that her child wanted to go to the park or get some ice cream.

As the years went by and my younger sisters came along, my mom still never complained. Not even when she had to take care of my infant sister after having one of her three knee surgeries. She still got up and took care of my dad, my sisters, and I. She always raised us three girls with love, patience, and honesty. She always said this one thing to us, “hijas, deben de luchar y ser fuerte para que nadie les pueda hacer daño,” which in english means, “you have to fight and be strong so no one can hurt you”. My mom always tried to keep us under her protection as best as she could because she knew how cruel the world was and that she couldn’t keep us under the comfort of her arm forever. Although if she could, I know she would do it without hesitation. She would do anything for her family, because la familia siempre viene primero (family always comes first).

During February of this year my mom got her third surgery. It was the more riskier one out of her previous ones. My mom didn't want to show it, but I knew she was scared and confused. We grew up together, so I can read her. When the day of the surgery came she tried her hardest to make jokes and lighten up the mood because she didn't want us to worry. I remember that day like it was yesterday, because I was terrified of anything going wrong. Again, my mom put my feelings in front of hers and told me it would all be okay. Several hours later, my mom still wasn't waking up from all the anesthesia and medicine they gave her. After my dad went in, they finally let me go. There, I saw my mom knocked out in a hospital bed. It was the first time I'd ever seen her in such a vulnerable position. I tried walking her up, but nothing worked. Tears filled both my eyes and rolled off my face like a waterfall. It felt like I was in a room surrounded by speakers playing at full blast. "don't cry I'm right here, I'm okay" I heard, as all the noise I heard stopped suddenly. It was my mom, again putting her daughters feelings first.