The list of people, who have been major influences in my life, would not be complete without telling you about my mother. She is an amazing woman who has touched my life in so many ways.
I grew up in a small town with little diversity and where prejudices were commonplace. Yet, due to my mother’s influence, I grew up to become an open minded, tolerant person who believes diversity is what makes the world an interesting and wonderful place. From her I also learned the importance of doing the right thing even when it is not easy. She showed me not just in words, but also by her actions. For example, one time she drove, twenty miles back to a bank when she discovered they had given her twenty dollars too much.
Through my mother’s stories and first hand examples, I learned the importance of standing up for other people. One of my favorite stories occurred when my mother was sixteen and my aunt (her youngest sister) was eleven. My aunt came to the car on the last day of school in tears. She said she was not going to the next grade with her friends. There was no apparent reason for it she had passed all of her subjects. My Granny was reluctant to challenge the schools authority, so my mother marched in to find out what was going on. The teacher had decided that my aunt was too immature emotionally. However, she failed to consult anyone and decided on her own to hold my aunt back. With a few minutes of discussion with the teacher, my mother was able to return to the car and wipe the tears from aunt eyes. She had convinced the teacher to let her sister progress with her friends. Although, it was a small thing, it was a life changing event for my aunt. For all the things you have taught me and continue you to teach me, Thank you Mom!