Malee Akno Mam

Though it may seem that you might have heard a story like the one I'm about to tell you, I can assure you that mine is different. Most everyone sees, just an ordinary mom, but to me, she's a goddess, put here to raise me. My mother, Malee Akno Mam, the most important and indispensable human being in my life. Yeah sure, I know you're probably thinking "Oh, my mom is the same thing to me", but no, just hear me out.

Malee Akno Mam born somewhere in Cambodia. As a child, she was born during the Khmer Rouge's term of dominance. Khmer Rouges are Khmers that believe since Khmers are country people, they should reset back to year zero, and do what they were put on this earth for, and that is "farming". So, let's just put it that my mom struggled through her childhood. On top of that, she was born with a disability, to where she didn't know how to walk until she was about seven. My mom never gave up, she always puts 100% in everything, whether win or lose.

When my family were escaping the war with Vietnam, my mom had to walk and run thousands of miles, barefoot, just to get to Thailand, which was the "free" country. From then on, they waited for the U.S. to approve their arrival into the country. Once they got to the U.S. my mom started her education at age 10, in the fourth grade. She had to learn everything from that day on. Till this day, she has improved so much, though sometimes she still has her Cambodian accent. But that doesn't stop my mom from anything.

Growing up, my mom has been in a good amount of abusive relationships. She is so loving, she tries her best to work things out, but once she is tired of it, she leaves. My father was her first boyfriend, but he is no importance to me only a shadow to my life. Though he gave me life, it was my mother who wanted to keep me because he didn't want me. My mom took the hit to whatever he did but, no matter what, she still kept me. I thank her for giving me life, she was the one to let me see the world and till this day I am a proud man. She raised me along with 5 other siblings as a single mother, with no help from anyone. She is my independence. What I do now, is to be just like her. I'm independent because of her. I love her with all my heart.

So that's how I see her as my hero; my mom takes the title with no hesitation. She inspires me to be the man I am now. She shows me that I should appreciate life to how it is, because I was put through situations for a reason. She gives me the strength to always give 100% to everything I do. Although sometimes I fail, I don't fall completely, because my mom is always there to pick me back up. She loves me, and she knows I will become what she wanted me to become...a hero. I want to grow up to be a hero...just like my mom.