To my momma

It’s mother’s day and I need to honor my momma from a distance.

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”

-Abraham Lincoln

 

Let me tell you a little bit about my mom. You will never meet a more determined woman. When I think of where she came from and where she is now, it is hard to comprehend. My mom was born in Mexico. She didn’t have the luxury of going to school and getting an education. Her family circumstances required her to get to work at a very young age. She went to work with my aunts, uncles and grandpa, picking cotton…all day…every day.

She came to the U.S. when she was 18 years old and later met my dad. I admire her strength and courage in making the decision to leave the abusive relationship she had with my dad after 7 years. Alone, with 3 kids to raise, my mom worked, took english classes and always made ends meet. We had a comfortable home and we never, ever went hungry, and we always had what was necessary.

My mom learned to speak English and has always been able to work her way up by being hard working and reliable, whatever the job was. I admire so much about my mom’s journey that it would really take me all day to write story after story of all the the awesome things she has accomplished.

A moment that blows me away now that I look back is my experience with buying my 1st car. A friend was selling me his Toyota Camry for $6000. I was only able to save up $2000 at that point. My mom was working at a deli, not making bank and supporting 3 kids and yet she was able to loan me $4000. Now that I look back at that I just don’t understand how she did it. How was she able to save $4000 and pay all of our bills-ALONE!?!?

(pic on the left: the black girl was adopted-haha! kidding Sen!)

I am also so grateful for the lesson of self-reliance and hard work that she taught me. She didn’t GIVE me $4000, she LOANED me $4000. I paid her back slowly but surely. It taught me to work hard for all that I have. I am always proud to say that I don’t have any debt (until I met Rich, haha!). I worked to pay my way through college and graduated debt free. I plan on teaching my kids the valuable lesson my mother has taught me.

Mom, you are my hero. You are an ultimate example of strength, perseverance, faith and love. Thank you for all that you have sacrificed for us and for all of the decisions that you made in your life that have given us the more opportunities than you had. I love you so much!

Love,

Jess