Mother My Mother

In the fall of 2012, my mother almost succumbed to her illness. I had just begun my freshman year of high school midst angry conversations between my parents and the threat of separation. It would seem as if they bickered about the most irrelevant things, almost as if they had no other reason to fight other than the fight itself. Those moments were excruciatingly lonely, my father worked until the dead of night and my mother would come home exhausted from treatment. I now know that there was no one who felt more unvalued than my mother. I wish I had the ability to iron away this blunder that destiny had fabricated, however foolish this desire is.

One weekend, we had decided to clean out the house to surprise my mother. My father found papers stashed away that revealed theft charges; my mother had stolen medication when she substituted for the nurse in my elementary school. I remember my dad scouring the house for more evidence, even finding a stash of pill bottles under their mattress. She had another court date coming up that he learned about, just a few weeks before a family trip to Disney. Shortly after that hearing, my family took our last vacation as a whole, knowing that a key member would be lost to us the Monday after our return; she was going into work-release for two months. Before the end of those sixty days, my father learned that my mother had been unfaithful. Their marriage ended, and at eleven and nine, my sister and I said what we didn't realize would be goodbye to our mother for a great while. Her drug abuse continued, and months of time would pass between visits. We saw that sweet, ideal mother devolve into an addict. This loss has shaped me greatly, and it has taught me integrity, strength of character, and great love for others; without these things, my mother cost herself her family and

My mother always used to wake me up in the morning. “You’re going to be late for school”. I had to walk half an hour to get to “Escuela Canada”. My mother always said to me before I left the house, “I want you to be deferential, detail-oriented and a man who perseveres”. I am glad and proud of having a mother that despite her hardships in life, she always cares about her children’s well-being.

I grew up watching my mother strive to give me a better life and become a better person. Amongst great difficulty, she decided to finish school and attend university. Her hard work and determination have marked and defined my life. Every day she had to work, then go to university and later take care of me. She excelled in every aspect of her life, teaching me that the impossible is overcome through hard work and

Growing up, my mother always encouraged me to be involved in any activity I should interest in, whether that be soccer, softball, theater, or chess club. While my mom did not always have the extra money or time, she never told me I could not pursue a new activity. Through my mother’s actions, I have learned to never settle and to continue to fight and work for better, for myself and others. My mother’s selfless attitude and positive attitude inspire me to have the same attitude with the my future family and the people around me.

The first footsteps we've ever taken are the ones that have imprinted the inside of our mothers' stomachs. Mothers don't just give birth to us, they give us a life to live. Now, some might say mothers are supposed to give birth; it's a natural process that is their duty. It's physically straining to have a child, but it takes a true warrior to raise a child. It is often forgotten how much they continuously provide for us and how many sacrifices they make. My mother has been my inspiration, not because of her title as my mother but because she is the prime example of a what I call a hero.

For this project I interviewed my mom, Lynn Pasko. During the course of doing this project and going through the questions, it made me realize how much I didn’t know about my mother. It never occurred to me how times have changed and how different things are now. I learned a lot about my mother that I did not know. Some of these include how my mother moved schools every year of her schooling up until her last half of junior year. I couldn’t imagine having to go to a new school every year. Not to mention how many friends she lost contact with and how hard it was to be the new kid every year. Another thing that had really surprised me was the hardest that she had to do. The hardest thing my mother had to do was after 9/11 happened, she had to write goodbye letters to my sister and I in case anything had happened to them on their way to Hawaii. Both my mother and father thought about taking different planes just incase if something happened to one of them, the other would still be there for me and my sister.

Growing up, my mom was a big impact on my life. Two days of the week she was a dental assistant. The other days she was just my mom. When she came home on the days after work she would smell minty and fresh from working in her dental office. I feel blessed to have been able to have my mother as a constant influence in my life. She showed me that I could be as mother as well as have a good job; I did not need to pick one or the other. My mother taught me how to stand up for myself and how not to be a pushover. One of the most important things I think that my mother taught me was how to be compassionate. Even as a young child when I heard about some of the terrible things that had happened in the world, my heart broke for those

Generally, mothers inspire their children each and everyday. However, the story of Lori Ciuffo DaCunha does not cease at inspiration. My mother's journey serves as a clear model, of the determination and persistence that should be present within all. As her only daughter, my opinion in my mother's actions most definitely is biased. Although, hundreds of others, who have been touched or even rescued by the result of my mother's journey comply with my statements. My mother, Lori Ciuffo DaCunha, once endured through the challenges of medical school and receiving support for the goals she obtained, for her future. However, throughout her lifetime, she has worked to utilize her experiences in order to teach others. Not containing her intelligence,

She has taught me to cherish people and to admire all of their attributes. My mother has shaped me in a way that I become people’s biggest cheerleader and I value their uniqueness, because I know everyone is capable of being the best possible version of themselves and I want to encourage them to get there. This nurturing spirit that I have attained benefits building my relationships and allows me to find and treasure the best in people. My mother has equipped me to properly handle my successes as well as my weaknesses with an admirable and gentle approach, and for that I am forever

Her strength and grit has always inspired me. This becomes especially true when I ask if there is anything that she especially wants me to mention; she says two particularly insightful things that touch on her experiences in life: “Being an immigrant and never living in my home country, I always thought I didn't have a place, really not from here or there. I have come to realize that your home is where you feel you belong” and “No matter where you've come from or what you've experienced, life gets better and you must hope and work for something better”. Through this interview, I have learned exactly what it has been like in my mother’s life and how she has used her strength to get through incredible

My mother has taught me to be courageous and always stand up for what I believe in. Every day, when I think about all that she went through while raising us, I really am astonished. She has basically given up her life for us making sure that we be successful in everyway. I can remember her letting me try out for club basketball when I was in sixth grade, the money didn’t even daunt her she always found away. However, when someone hurts anyone of us she has no problem standing up for us. I can

My life has been filled with motherly anecdotes like that one and they are why I write. Looking back at the times she told her stories (when my sadness didn’t blur out my sense of curiosity) I remember wishing I had every detail, image, and piece of advice to keep for myself. Sadly, all she had were her present, and somewhat obscured, opinions. One night, a final sob breaking past my lips, I decided to jot down a story to tell my kids. I made it my mission to write down my raw opinions and emotions from elementary, middle, and high school to help my children cope with common issues while getting a sense of my life.

About eight-years ago, my family decided to moved to the U.S for a better future which also the day that marks my history. It’s very challenging to assimilate into a different culture and to learn a different language. My parents had a tough time finding a job to keep food on the table because they had partially education with no English. As time goes on, everything

Getting to where I am today, was not easy. I had to overcome some obstacles that taught me some life lessons. One of the factors that has contributed to my life choices is my mother. I have a close relationship with my mom. Whenever I have something that is bothering me, I like to