Cheryl Ford-Smith

I most admire, my mother, Cheryl Ford-Smith. Her occupations include physical therapist and professor. She now attends school to receive her Ph.D. in nutrition and her doctorate in physical therapy. While doing this she also makes my lesson plans, goes to work, cooks, cleans; and teaches her students, my sister and I. Still, she finds time to study our algebra lessons, exercise, make us laugh, and be there when we need to talk to her. Yet after all this she maintains the idea she is not special. She does not boast or make others feel inferior. This makes her a hero in one way because she shows humility.

My mother also sacrifices so much time to take care of her family. She goes without a great deal so we can have a full life. She has literally only one day when she can truly rest. Sometimes my sister and I would like to go out and do something with friends or church members, so she gives up her day so that we can have some fun. We live forty miles outside of the city, and my mom makes the long drive to take my sister and me to dance and drum lessons. This makes her a hero in a second way because she sacrifices her time for others.

She certainly attains the status of a hero because without her I know I would not be as healthy as I am now. I have insulin resistance. Some mothers would over-look this because they may feel I should just be a child and eat whatever I want. However, if I do not maintain an extremely healthy and active lifestyle, I could develop diabetes. If I am not aware I have developed diabetes, I may die. My mother, aware of my condition, believes in doing what would help me most, whether I like it or not. Even when I used to attend private school, my mother would always make sure my teachers knew what I should eat and what time I should have my snacks throughout the day. This makes her a hero in a third way because she helps me survive.