Personal Essay: My Mother

​Parents are one of the most beautiful things that could happen to anyone. They are always there by your side no matter what; they always want the best for their children. They can be strict and protective, its because they love their kids and they don’t want them to get hurt. My parents are special to me because with all the hard time that they had to have me and my siblings in their life they still fought for us and didn’t give up, even after 17 years of trying. But for me? The greatest of all is my mom. She is the one that I look up too. She is the greatest of all. Simple, funny, strict, protective, but yet she is the best.

For my oral history project, I decided to interview my mother. I am pretty close with my mom, as we talk daily, and I am comfortable often to seek advice from her. A challenge that I faced was trying to find an appropriate date and time for the interview. My mom works six days a week, and I am often preoccupied with classes and school work. Another challenge was my mom’s hesitation with going into too much detail about her experiences. In addition, it was difficult to interview another family member such as a relative because I was not particularly close with my uncles or aunts, nor were any of them easy to contact due to variations in time zones. Furthermore, arguably one of my largest reason why I choose to interview my mom was because I never had taken the time or initiative to ask about my mom’s past. I had only knew of some general aspects, but never asked too much into detail. The oral history project was a perfect opportunity to dwell deeper into my family’s history and how they came to America.

My mom, Alicel, was ten when she first moved to the United States. She is the youngest of nine siblings, most of which already lived in America. Alicel always visited her older siblings a couple times a year with a visa, which gave her six months to stay in the u.s legally. By the time she was 15 she was fluent in English and already familiar with American customs. She had been visiting America for 11 years before moving there permanently at the age of 21.

I can still remember vividly the day my mother passed away. My mother passed away at a critical point in my life when I was seventeen years old from a short term illness. She was sick for a week and I remember thinking this could be serious, however, my mother declined to go to the hospital because of the distance and financial hardship. I had loss my father when I was three years old, so my mother was a single mother. I have step sisters and brother, but I was not particularly close to them. Losing my mother was a defining moment in my life for it changed my life irrevocably. I was devastated, but I had to become strong, proactive and it spurred me to choose a new career path.

She didn’t have to choose me, she didn’t have to provide for me, she didn’t have to love me and she most definitely didn’t have to take me in, but she did. I’m so unbelievably proud to call my mom my hero.

In 1859 Henry Ward Beecher said, "the mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom." I believe that statement because of experiences I’ve had with my own mother. I have learned more about life from her than from my 15 years of schooling. Over the last 20 years my mother has taught me many valuable lessons just by being a living example of compassion, thoughtfulness, and generosity. She is an angel that has protected and carried me throughout life.

What can one say about their mother? One may talk about her positive and negative

Now I can say that I had never understood others suffering from a bad loss of a dear person.  I would hate to hear that anybody died. When this happened to me, when my dear mother died, I started to understand all those people who lost someone they loved. There are perhaps no proper words to describe this pain, This intolerable pain which tears you apart, which is like a stone on your heart, and which make tears run down your face with each moment spent with the dear person who passed away. Time is unlikely to pass so fast this hurt, no matter what others claim.

I often wondered if my mother would have chosen to immigrate to the United States of America, after repatriating to Holland, to begin a new life from absolutely nothing but the clothes on our backs for the second time, if my parents had stayed together. Was it their divorce that inspired Mom to lead us on our path to prosperity? Eventually I understood that my Mom’s ultimate motivation was her vision of a brighter future for her family, regardless of her marital status. In Holland, Mom could not bare to watch her mother be the sole breadwinner and living off a Dutch government's subsidized income was equally unacceptable. Following Aasje’s death, Evie observed Oma, overcome with grief, lose her spirit, and she aspired for a better life

A symbol that describes everything I want, would have to be my mom, she has been there for me since day one and have never gone anywhere, she represents: strength, love, and change to become a better person. My mom is everything I want to be as a mother, wife, and just as a person in general. I was born September 23rd 1998, my mom was born January 25th 1974. I was not a planned baby but, I know I definitely blessed my parents lives by being born. I did not grow up in the “typical home”, my parents’ divorced before I two, my dad was an alcoholic and was not around much when I was little, so it was just my mom and my grandparents raising me. I did not mind them raising me of course, I also did not know any better because, that was just how I grew up. I would say though that I had a pretty great childhood, I was always a happy child, and also a pretty good one too.

When one thinks of their mother they think she is the best at everything. The one who cooks the best, loves the most, always giving us kids kisses and hugs when she leave us to school. Mothers are the bravest, strongest, hardworking, and loving human beings on Earth, at least that is how I view my mom. She is always doing something for my siblings and I. Always keeping things organized, moving and doing. When I was 13, I wondered what was in her mind, what is she thinking? She started to look horrible in a condition that seemed rare that I have never witnessed before. All I could do was ask my dad, but he never said anything, I ask her, but she to never said anything. What could a kid do? “There is nothing I can do”, is what I always told myself.

Any women can be a mother but it takes someone special to be a mother. Having someone in your life who means so much to you is a blessing. My Mom, Fatima was born on June 4, 1973. Moving to her appearance, I could say that the way she acts says a lot about her personality. She is the kind of person that is interesting to listen. Every time I listen to her, I learn something new. The moment she had me in her life was also a blessing for her. Im her third daughter. She is someone who cheers me up while I’m feeling sad. Without her, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Her smile is the only thing that will make me happy throughout the day. Her guiding hand on my shoulder will remain forever. Ever since her childhood, my mom was taught that

When I was born, I was one pound and ten ounces. I was too small to be a healthy child. I was put on a ventilator, and I was transferred to a different hospital being escorted by 4 police cars surrounded by the ambulance. Some people did not believe I would live to be a normal child because I was supposed to have many complications yet the only thing I developed was bad eye sight. When my mother was able to hold me three months after I was born she made a promise to me that she will be a good mom. My mom carries characteristics like inspiration, trustworthiness, and being positive, which makes her the best mom.

A mother is someone who can take the place of all others but no one can take the place of her. There are many different definitions you could use to describe your mother. My mother, Pam Krull, fits every one of those. Today I decided to pick the three that I thought was most important to me. I admire and aspire to be like my mother because of how supportive, how selfless, and how loving she is.

I interviewed my mother Jane Million. My brother has Asperger’s. He is ten years old, and in fifth grade. He is Caucasian, and my mother’s household is considered under the poverty line. He is diagnosed with Asperger’s. He I very good with mechanical skills. He can build many things, and loves almost any type of puzzle. Unfortunately he is not very good with reading or writing. He has two siblings at home. His favorite color is red. His favorite hobby is watching TV, coloring, and building things out of Legos.