Rosanna

I'll never forget the day my mother saved my life. I was three-year-old, choking on a sticker. My whole family was lying on the bed watching a movie. I had to be the odd ball and play with stickers on the floor. Next thing you know I have a sticker stuck to my throat blocking the air circulation. My mother was the only one brave enough to save me. She dug her entire hand into my mouth and grabbed the sticker from out of my throat. Without her I may have been dead, but because of my mother's bravery, I am still here today.

I don't only consider my mother a hero because she saved my life, I also think of her as a hero for many other reasons. As a child there were many times in life when I felt like giving up because I didn't believe that I was being the best I could be. Math was always an issue for me; I always felt confused and thought that I wasn't as intelligent as the other students. My mother was the one to encourage me to believe in myself and never give up on life. Now math is my favorite subject and I have the best grade in class. With her by my side, I know that if I try my hardest I can succeed at anything I try my best at.

My mother is a hero to me because she cares about other people, not just herself. Every Thursday she goes to the Osborn Correctional Institution Prison for the Alfa program, a 10-week inspirational discussion for the prisoners. She goes there to help them deal with where they are, prison, and why they're doing 10 to life. The points of these sessions are to motivate the prisoners and let them know that life isn't over for them.

The day it hit my mother that she needed to be the provider for our family was the night my father's middle and pointer fingers got cut off by a snow blower. After that, my father was unable to work for months. My mom worked hard enough to pay the bills and keep food on the table. Who knows where we would be today if she wasn't the strong woman that she is?

My mother is and always will be a hero to me because, although she is just like everybody else, to me she is more. She makes me feel special with the average things she says and does. For example, to hear her say that her husband and children are who inspire her to be who she is today, and that her family gives her the energy to work as hard as she does lets me know she appreciates us. My love for her will never change, and that is why I believe she is my hero.