My Mom: The Warrior
Everyone has the people in their life that they call their best friends. When I am asked the question, “Who is your best friend?”, there is one person that comes to mind right away and that I am positive will be my person forever. She is my role model, my rock, my shoulder to cry on, my “go-to” person. She is my teacher, my guide, my light, my therapist, and my cheerleader. Most of all, she is my other half, and I am the luckiest person in the world to be able to also call this person my mother.
A hero, to me, is someone who has done something brave and that you can look up to as an example. While many may say Spiderman or Catwoman are heroes to them, my personal hero isn't someone of superpowers, but it is my “super mom”. She is a woman of courage, strength, and love, and over the years has instilled in me such incredible values. I can only hope to be a hero like her to my own children one day.
Sometimes, you come across a very impactful person in your life expedition, but I found that person at the very beginning of my life journey. My mom was there for my first breath, helped me to walk my first steps, brought me to my first day of school, and introduced me to the world. My mom is the most beautiful star that shines on earth and the brightest light of happiness in my life. When I am feeling down, she cheers me up, and when I am feeling hopeless, she is the one that gives me hope. She truly does it all.
At 12 years old, as the youngest of three, and the only girl in the family, I relished being the center of attention. This carefree demeanor forever changed when my best friend, also my mom, was diagnosed with breast cancer. My entire world collapsed, but I had to remain calm. I wanted to be strong for my mom. Seeing her in the hospital made me think of all the times she took care of me when I was sick in bed but witnessing her inner strength and positive attitude during chemotherapy and radiation sessions showed her heroic, fighting spirit.
Although she could not control this terrible thing that had happened to her, she could control how she dealt with it and how she could respond to the situation. Instead of letting the diagnosis make her feel sorry for herself or slow her down, she continued to have her same sense of humor and her willingness to help others, making this dark time in our lives much easier for everyone. My mom did not let herself feel depressed, worried, or cut off from others, but instead she chose to be strong and keep happy thoughts in her mind during the entire process. She used her frightening experience to teach others that they have a choice to be happy, sad, worried, or angry when something bad happens, but always to take the opportunity to be brave, confident, and hopeful. Her mindset is what helped shape who both she and I are to this day, as she overcame her battle with a positive attitude and helped me do the same with mine. As strong as my mother was, it turned out that I was just as resilient when faced with a frighteningly similar struggle of my own.
My mom truly is a fighter. She has overcome so many obstacles in life, but most of all, she kicked breast cancer’s ass. She never gave up and she kept on fighting. She pushed and gave it her all, even when times were hard. She had hope and remained positive during the entire journey. Through all of the hardships, she was always standing strong. She taught me what it meant to be brave. She showed me to never give up and to always keep my head up. She showed me you can’t let things, even as big as what you dealt with, get in your way of happiness. With or without cancer, she continued to be the same person and never let the disease control how she lived her life.
- Skylar Kaye, MC '19
