Angelica Sandoval

Imagine coming home and finding out that your beloved sister just died. Imagine getting a call in the middle of the night saying that your daughter's car flipped off the freeway. Imagine an endless amount of tears streaming down your face. Imagine feeling nothing but desolation. I bet you can't imagine such atrocities, but my mother can.

There is no one that I respect more than Angelica Sandoval Salazar. She has experienced things I can't even bear to think of. Since she was the eldest child it was like she was a mother to her siblings as well. She spent her childhood on the farm watching her siblings. Also, she spent it helping her mother with a wide variety of things. Things such as cleaning and farm work.

The incident that changed her the most was the death of her sister. Her sister was about 6 years old when she hit her head and fell into a river. My mom felt horrible because she felt that if she had been with her then it never would have happened. She spent her nights crying with a burden of regret. However, even though her sister died she will never forget the days they spent together, she will still have those happy memories and not just pain. After the death, my mom and the rest of the family decided to move to the United States for a new start. My mom was already married so my father went with them too.

My sister's car accident greatly affected my mother as well. The day after my sister's accident was the first day I ever saw my mother cry. Since my sister's accident my mom worries about us (my two sisters, brother, and me) more. Fortunately, my sister survived an accident that should have killed her. My sister was in horrible condition afterwards, but my mom would always tell her to not worry because she knew she would get better. My sister is better now and has joined the navy.

Now time to mention the obvious reason why my mom is my hero, she raised me and my siblings. Believe me when I say that this was not an easy task. My mother got married at a young age and gave birth shortly after. She then gave birth to three more children. She loves her children beyond words which I guess is why she worries so much about them. I know that no matter what I do I will always be able to count on my mom. She is my hero because she sees light when all everyone else sees is darkness, imagine that.