My mother is my mentor and my friend; these two qualities make her more than a mother. She is like my guardian angel, always watching every move and keeping me on the right track. My mother is a strong woman and she holds well for a single mother. But, the days that she has to struggle are the days I have to stand up and help her by lifting some of the burdens off her shoulders.
My mother has taught me how to not only overcome the death of my father, but also how to overcome some of the hardships that will affect my life in the future. Being the eldest male in my home, she helps me realize that my brothers look to me for guidance. By emulating her leadership, I often take on some of her roles, such as helping my younger siblings in their schoolwork and leading them away from negativities in their surrounding environment. She sees many great things in me that, at times, are not so obvious to me. She constantly tells me to become something great in life to make her and my dad's spirit proud. This encourages me to strive for the best of my abilities.
I reflect back to the day of my high school graduation when my mother approached me and told me, "It's time." It was weird because it was like a time bomb went off inside of me. I got up and I knew what I had to do. It was "time" to use the skills she equipped me with and finally become a young man. I wanted to get into college and I wanted to eliminate all my weaknesses and turn them into my strengths, and all of my threats into