Julissa Villarreal

This rose reminds me of my mom.

What is a hero? Well to me a hero is someone that you look up to and that takes care of you. For me my hero is my mom. She has been through so much and I look up to her a lot. Her name is Julissa Villarreal, she has five daughters - two older, three young ones, no boys. Got married when she was 18 years old. She is not divorced, does not have a job. My mom is from Mexico. She came to California when she was 18. It is really hard for my mom because she hasn’t seen her sisters and brother for a very long time. Her parents are still alive and every year they come from Mexico to visit us and stay for a week or two then they go back to Mexico.

How my mom raised my sisters and me was in a good way because none of my sisters are disrespectful or rude. That is good for me. She taught me not to talk back. It was really hard for her to teach me not to be rude because I was a troublemaker. If I wouldn’t listen the easy way I would have to learn the hard way by getting hit on my butt. When I wanted to go outside my mom had to come with me. I would ask my mom to show me how to skate because I did not know how to. She taught me the way that her parents taught her. In a nice gentle way. Whenever I had a problem in school or wherever I could always go to her and tell her what was happening and she would fix it.

My dad really never liked my mom to work. In the year of 2007 my dad got hurt in his job and my mom got a job at a hotel. She got paid really good money. And at times I would go help her. The manager would always give me free food because there was a restaurant. So every time I went with my mom I would eat something good. Or across from the hotel there was a Carlos Jr. and a subway. He will even let me go in a room while she was cleaning. The manager was from China so he taught my mom and me to kinda speak Chinese. Everyone that lived in that hotel they were so nice. In time they would give my mom a tip for how nice she cleaned. Then my mom had to stop working because she got pregnant and the chemicals that she would use to clean could be bad for her and the baby. But my dad works and my mom takes care of the house. That’s the way it is for her and him.

Another reason that I love my mom so much is that she cares for my sister and me a lot! Once when there was an earthquake and it was only my big sister and I she went and got my sister and me and ran out the door. I was really scared because I didn’t know what was happening. She once told me that “we her daughters come first”! Any type of emergency will always come first. When I had broken my hand she rushed me to the hospital and cared for me. Also when my sister opened her head she also rushed her to the hospital.

So that is why I LOVE MY MOM SO MUCH! She has gone through so much and I really look up to her and she taken care of us really good. Also cared for us, had so many sacrifices in her life, leaving her job for having a child. I am really proud of her being my mom. She will always be a beautiful rose to me!