Personal Essay: My Hero's Life

On April 6,1978 in Los Angeles, California, my mother was born at a hospital in China Town. Her birth name was Nancy Chung Yee Ho. My grandfather gave her the name Nancy after Nancy Reagan who was the wife of president Ronald Reagan in office from 1981 to 1989. My mother was born as a middle child with a big brother named Chung Ho, born five years older than her in Hong Kong. She also has a younger sister named Lucy Ho, born six years later in Los Angeles as well. The three of them and both their parents lived in Los Angeles since 1977.

My mom was born to first generation Chinese parents in America. Both my grandparents were born in Guangzhou, China. Hey were high school sweethearts and went to school together. In 1960s, they both escaped
My mom began learning martial arts at age two from both her mom and dad. She got the best of both worlds, taught by two martial arts specialists that gave her a strong foundation. When she learned how to walk, she also started practicing the art of Tai Chi. My grandfather is a Tai Chi Master who competes and won many trophies in his early years while living in Hong Kong. Tai Chi is a internal Chinese martial arts that is practiced for both its defense training and health benefits. Mom had started to learn and practice Tai Chi, taking it after her father. My grandma states, "She was such a fast learner." My grandfather was a working man but he manages to teach Tai Chi and continue the traditions. By age six, Mom would help her dad teach Tai Chi classes by demonstrating
Her first life goal was to become a architect. She said, "I have always loved looking at the designs of the buildings but bac then, designs were made with pencil and paper. Nowadays, it is all computerized." Mom was never an artist, she did not like to pick up the pencil and draw. As she grew older, she looked more into interior designing where she would enjoy moving furniture around. While growing up, every couple months she would redesign her bedroom and sometime the living room as well, in grandma allowed it. Then when she moved into her own place, she would always redesign her apartment and her home often. At one of her jobs, mom was asked to design an office space when they opened a new office. I was successful!" Designing is still her passion, she now has a new goal. Mom said, "I hope to one day have a successful business of my own and become a millionaire before I turn