(17, NJ, USA) Natalie - My Mom Is My Super Hero

My mom is my Wonder Woman, my Super Girl, she is my biggest hero. I’ll always admire the strength it took to raise her three babies when her world was falling apart. I’ll be eternally indebted to her for sacrificing everything to keep her seemingly cursed life hidden from her babies. My mom raised my two little brothers and I all alone. My father was incarcerated after my baby brother Charlie was born and he left my mom to raise us. She did the impossible. My mother gave us everything and more. She gave us a home of laughter and love, continuous games and things for us to do. My mother made me appreciate every little thing, whether it was a Valentines Day basket or an Easter egg hunt. Most people would think growing up with a father in prison would be isolating and cold, but my mother made it her mission to give us a home of warmth. She made every holiday feel magical and every summer feel endless. I owe her every breath, every accomplishment, and everything I am today. She taught me empathy and how to love. She taught me that bad days can only last so long. Most of all, she taught me that she’s the strongest woman I’ll ever know.