Personal Narrative: Momma's Child

On November 17,1989 my mother Juanita Renea Ohlinger went into labor at 6:00 A.M. she was in labor for 12hrs. She laid there in so much pain at Providence hospital until Dr. Kendal Foster showed up and told her she had to have a C-section because her pelvis would not expand. The nurse hooked my mother up to monitors and willed her to the operating room, my father Raymond F Smith was dressed in hospital operating clothes. Dr. Foster began to open my mother’s womb and pulled me out at 5:25 pm.

The past wasn’t pretty for the town. They weren’t always like this. Before, people could dress how they want, say what was on their mind, but most importantly they were free. They didn’t have to listen to anyone, they didn’t have to do what they were told. There were no rules.

Jaxon’s Mom’s Point Of View. The phone had rung a couple of minutes before it had all happened, a couple of minutes before everything changed. We would’ve never known what had hit us, we wouldn't see it coming. Down here in the south nothing ever happens, the most exciting thing that has happened here was when the local school won the state championship in 2007. Life before we knew it was about to change here in Alabama,and we’d never be the same again.

A few days ago my mom told me I was supposed to be a December baby, but I am a October baby. I was born two months early. When I was born my skin was yellow. I had to be wrapped in a blue blanket that made me light up blue. Its called a Bilirubin blanket.The doctors said I was Jaundice. My mom and I had to stay in the Hospital for a few days to recover. Even though I was born very early I was still very healthy. I still am.

Brittany was watching Netflix on her couch, while her parents were at work. She felt a burning sensation in her throat-- Thirst. So she went to her kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. As she was pouring the water into the glass she saw an old damaged car driving across the bumpy road. She never saw that car in the neighborhood. A few seconds later Brittany heard a weird knock that she has never heard before. She thought that it was her parents but no. It wasn’t.

“Estas loca que le vas a decir a tu papa? (you are crazy what are you going to tell your dad)” my mom said

I once believed teaching was the least gratified, but most important career until I remembered motherhood which is more arduous yet less appreciated than any other job. Mothers serve for at least eighteen years, everyday, sunup and far past sundown, without sick days, and arguably no pay. My mother, Manola Jean-Mary having eleven children has done the impossible for twenty-two years with seventeen more to go. There has been countless opportunities missed, many decisions questioned, even hospitalization because of the side effects of stress, however with no regrets she continues to do her absolute best for every one of us. A dissertation could be written about her strength, hardships, and how she has prevailed, but this essay only briefly explains my mother as my source of inspiration. I reached a point where I lost all motivation, any urge to accomplish anything. I was convinced that everything I did was unsatisfactory, that my role in this world, and my efforts were unimpactful,

when i was younger my mom was very sick and she had to get surgery ,it was really hard on the family because she was always the one cooking for us doing laundry for us and all the other things kids don´t usually do. When that unfortunate event happened i had to take charge and be able to do the same things as my mother did for us ,since she would be unable to move fore a few weeks do to the surgery. I took the lead and started to do every thing and even taking care of my mom when she was sick.Another thing that i took charge of was making food for the family and taking care of my sisters as well as by brother.As my brothe wasent very familiar with the stove and cooking ,he amired me for taking charge and being able to take of my mother. As

Mama always had a love-hate relationship with my hair. If she was around me all the time, she’d comb and gel my black curly hair into an unpredictable shape, whatever she wanted. It almost always became a frizzy, tangled mess. I never liked her hair styling but I finally learned not to argue with Mama. I liked my hair like I like my food: simple. No need to add anything, or spend more money. My mama didn’t see it like that.

Tomorrow marks the day, five years ago, when I turned from a couple to single, when the ‘Mrs’ was deleted from my name officially and when I had to fill up forms, I had to tick the “widow” slot. Funnily there were no ‘widower’ slots!

Is college right for you? When you think of college, fear is probably the first thing that comes to mind. Coty, a mother of 4 children, 33 years old, and always has a big smile on her face… Well, at least most of the time. She has long black hair, light brown eyes, and if you look closely, a tattoo behind her ear. Most people will assume she’s just a college student but really, she’s a “mom”. I chose to interview Coty because she’s very encouraging and a very talkative person. My mom has a lot to say about her college experience.

Not only as a woman, but as a Mexican, my mother demonstrated to be the strongest person in the world. Since a very young age, growing up in a very difficult environment like it is Mexico, she learned how to see for herself. And through her life my mom appreciated all the lessons she experienced, never with a pessimistic outlook. That is why she always had the wisest words that encourage me to be brave when taking decisions. As the same way her mother’s determination shaped her to become someone independent and with more knowledge, is the same way my mother’s experiences influence me to have her strength. Unlike other mothers, mine was excited when I started solving problems by my own without her guidance, acting like a young adult. The fact

I had arrived to the big world on a morning of the 28th of June in 1996, at 7:48 am at Cambridge Medical Center. The day my mother had bright me home, I immediately started to observe the world around me; just as would any other newborn baby, and I also watched my new family, mainly my mother. As I watched her through out my life growing up, I’ve learned that she did a lot for others. More then she did for herself, which I always wondered why. But, when I had gotten to middle school, I soon understood why she did so many things for others. She worked at a company called Public Health Solutions, which involves helping the mentally ill become independent for themselves; she had worked at that same company for 20 years. Every day she came home

Despite all of the obstacles my mother has faced, she always strived to become successful and take care of her family. The youngest child and only daughter of six children, she is a first generation college graduate and the first person in her family to attend college. After completing her masters degree in education, she taught at the high school level for thirteen years. After that, she was a distance learning teacher at Kamehameha Schools Maui for around six years.

As a child, I experienced similar incorrect parenting habits from my parents. Spankings were the number one form of discipline in my house hold; “Go find me my belt” my father use to say when I was in trouble. The second form of discipline in my house hold; “Go to your room” my mother use to say before I would receive the spankings due to my bad behavior. Unsure how most of my parent’s disciplining methods affected me as a child, but looking back represents the behavior I plan on avoiding when I become a parent. I know breaking bad habits are not always easy; however, practice makes perfect. I hope I will not follow the same incorrect parenting habits that mine bestowed to me. I will try my best to not be a product of my own environment.