Inspired by another blogger

The other day I can across a post by a fellow blogger that got me thinking, I mean really thinking. Immediately I knew I needed to explore this further. Honestly if everyone did I believe they would change their daily interactions, decisions and possibly enable them to become the person they always wanted to be.

What does the words role models mean to you? Are they a person who has risen up the ranks quickly within their chosen profession? Are they a person who has a disability but never allowed that to define them, or a single parent who always provided, loved and supported their child selflessly? Maybe an artist who has had their work displayed and sold. Whom ever it may be all of us have to admit that they inspired us at some point in our lives that we carried those memories with us until now. Now is when we needed to act upon the feelings evoked by our role models. As adults now is the perfect time to follow their leads, walk in their footsteps, and become a role model for someone else.

Since my teens I knew that my mother was different from most mothers. I knew that I had better apply myself in school, complete all my chores and not make excuses when I was sick. My mom had been sick ever since I can remember however she always had time for my brother and me, cooked, cleaned, and took us to the city for the theater and museums. When I was in college I was pledging for my sorority and were sent out in different groups on a scavenger hunt. My group did a really good job but one thing stumped us; we needed a photocopy of each of our faces and we weren’t allowed to spend any money plus it was after 11:00 pm. There weren’t libraries or businesses open at that hour and people didn’t have printers that photocopied then. At that time you were lucky if you had a dot matrix printer at home anyway I knew my mother had several photocopy machines at her office and knew she would help us out.  Even though it was almost midnight by the time we were able to explain what we needed to achieve my mother jumped in her car wearing her nightgown to open up her office. She photocopied each one of our faces and even cleaned the machine off after each one of us took our turn. When we had our task completed and only had less than 30 minutes to get back or we would be disqualified my mother shooed all of us out of her office and shut down and locked everything up then went home.  She even waited up to find out if we made it back in time and if we won.

Another memory I have of my mom is when I was 13 years old and had a series of spinal taps that had injured some nerves in my spine.  With therapy I was able to regain a lot of my abilities except I couldn’t sit or get up on my own from a laying position. The doctors had told my mother that if I didn’t regain the ability very soon than I may never be able to.  My mother was not accepting that and she wasn’t about to let me either. She did what she had to even though I screamed in agony. My mother stood me in front of a chair, managed to force my stiff body onto the chair and sat on me for what seemed like an eternity.  Her love and determination is the only reason I am able to have full use of my lower limbs.

During a routine exam it was decided that further testing be ordered. My mother complied and while at the testing facility was then rushed to the hospital. The next day underwent what was scheduled to be exploratory surgery and came out to have her life altered forever. The rest of us were visibly shaken and in disbelief but not my mother she didn’t bat an eye, shed a tear, or doubt her recovery.  When the doctors did their rounds and spoke to all of us she was the one that was hopeful not the doctors. In fact her doctor explained his shock, fear and heart felt concern but she told him to buck up and she would deal with it and be fine. She is the strongest, most determined, loving, loyal, dependable, and selfless person I have ever met or ever will.

If I were to take time everyday to remind myself what my role model had done to inspire me to be a better person than maybe I would make better choices or when life deals me a difficult hand just know like she always did that all will be fine and I can do anything than I could be fearless, more loving, kinder, and maybe half the woman she was.

I want to thank the original post that reminded me of who I want to emulate and how to continue to strive to be a better person for myself, my son and society. Here is a link to the wonderful blog that inspired this.

https://kandyandy.wordpress.com/2015/01/14/role-models/