Brenda Rodriguez

Do Not Let the Past Determine Your Future "Why cry over spoiled milk" is what my hero always tells me. My hero has been through so much these past eighteen years. All had to deal with parents, relationships, and jobs. She is the strongest person I know, and I admire her. We all have had a few bumps in our roads, but this lady has had more than a few. At the age of eighteen she became pregnant. Of course she was sad because that is when your life truly begins, but she accepted it and became a wonderful mother to her son Daniel. She still managed to have a job and finish high school, even if it was at Rally's Burgers. She provided for her son the best she could. Yeah her parents helped and supported her every step of the way, but she did miss out on the "young life". Two years later she got pregnant again; this time she had a girl. She got married and her family was complete. By this time she had a stable job and worked for a car insurance company. She went to college and was studying criminal justice. Her dream job was to become a police officer. Four years later, her and her husband got a divorce for personal reasons. This really affected her, emotionally and mentally.

When she went to take the test with LAPD, the detective told her that she was ineligible to become a cop. Someone had messed with her application and ruined her chances of achieving her dream job. She continued to go to college and soon applied to work at a courthouse. She worked at Santa Monica court house as an office assistant. As a few years went by, she was hit with the worst loss. The loss of her father made her so sad, she was destroyed. After this loss, her and her ex-husband grew a closer friendship than before. She remained at Santa Monica where she learned various positions. Then she applied to work at Airport Court House. Here is where she was promoted to Administrative Assistant.

Now she is in a relationship of four years, has a son of eighteen and a daughter of sixteen, and her mother who is still very supportive. Her son is a senior in high school and has made the decision to join the Marines. Of course her son's decision is affecting her, but she wants her children to be successful and not struggle the way she did. She continuously tells her children to not allow the past affect them, to learn from one's mistakes and allow that to mold you into a better person. It's true that crying over spoiled milk will not make things better; therefore I will not let some bad choices determine my future.

This hero of mine is my mother. She has accomplished so much in her life and she never let her past affect her future. I honor my mother very much because she has not only been a great parent but a perfect role model. She is the most supportive and caring mother, I would not change anything about her. Thanks to her, I learned to just let life be.