Grace Onyeukwu

A hero can be a rapper, teacher, grandma, or a movie star, but for me it is different. My hero is Grace Onyeukwu, my mom. My mom was born in 1966 on the continent of Africa in Nigeria. She came to America in 1991. Today she lives in Brighton, Massachusetts. She is no stranger to anybody because she always makes people feel welcome. When you are feeling down, she always cheers you up. One of the reasons I chose my mom as my hero is because she has been there for me all of my life. A hero is someone who is brave, kindhearted, trustworthy, and who is a caring friend.

I chose my mother as my hero because she is also a great influence in my life. For example, she can be caring and loving, but strict when disciplining me. I find her a hero because she is a brave, strong, independent woman, and also because she encourages me everyday to be the best; for instance, by trying my best in school or in achieving a goal. She also makes sure I am behaving well and being raised properly. We have such a great bond. My mom can always tell a good joke, and we can always have a good time together. Things I will never forget about my mom are how hardworking and strong she is as a woman. She is like Superwoman, having to balance three kids, a husband, a full-time job, and being a full-time nursing student. Sometimes we are like two teenagers hanging out.

I am not the only person who sees my mom as a hero, because others admire her generosity. When I was younger, my grandmother was sick and my mom nursed her back to health. When my aunt had her third and fourth child, my mother flew out to Rhode Island to help around the house. She has saved many marriages by giving advice to my aunts and to family friends. She has modeled the importance of being involved in the community by contributing to the church and helping out in the community. Sometimes a person does not have to be recognized as a hero for doing something important. It is knowing that person did it out of the goodness of their heart that matters most.

My mother is my hero because she is an inspiration to me. I learn new things from her everyday. She is an inspiration to me because she encourages me to keep going no matter what obstacles or circumstances are in my way. She encourages me to have hope, even when I am in the midst of despair. She inspires and influences me to always be strong and have self-respect. It can be the decent little things a person can do that could touch your life that make them your hero.

That is exactly what my mom did. She was there when I took my first step. She was there when I said my first word. She was the one who tucked me in at night, the one who held my hand when I went to school for the first time, the first person I went to when I lost my first tooth. She is the very same person who wishes me luck in every goal I try to achieve. I sometimes think about how lucky I am to have a mom as great as her. She is the sun that lights up my world. Out of every person I have ever known, there is no person I can truly call a hero except for my mom. Speaking from my heart, I know I can always call on my mom, my hero. She is strong, kindhearted, loving, caring, and fearless. All my life I have seen heroes; political heroes, sports heroes, but to me, the most worthy hero is my mom. Although I see my mom as a role model, there are things that inspire and motivate my mom. My mom gets her strength from God. She was raised to not take life as a joke. She believes hard work, determination, and the right attitude help you achieve anything. Although a hero reigns most supreme for an important act, my mom reigns most for something better -- for being my friend, a super woman, an inspiration, a role model, and more importantly, my hero.