Better than Superman

“...Numerous blood clots in the chest, neck, and above the dead center of the heart; we are lamenting over what to do.” These words hit my hero hard, but they didn’t knock her down.   Some heroes are born with powers, some get bitten by radioactive spiders, and some acquire abnormal objects that grant them their powers. None of the above happened to my hero. Little did she know that the very moment she was told she could have died, was the same moment she became my hero. A hero, from my standpoint, is someone who would cut off everything just to save one person. Somebody who looks out for the interest of others before their own. Somebody who would give their life for someone they don’t even know. You don’t have to walk around with boots and a cape, or make headlines every time you save someone, and you must certainly don’t have to have powers to be a hero. My mom is my hero because she is self-sacrificing, tenacious, and influential.

An overriding trait to describe my mother is self-sacrificing. I have never seen her act egotistical in her 42 years of life. When she grasped instructions on how to save my life, she rushed in without hesitation to deliver me safely. When she was directed to be on bed rest for the majority of her pregnancy, that’s what she did.  Months and months of daily injections, bed rest, and discomfort. It finally paid off. My mother had many complications: bruises from the Lovenox (Blood thinners), a placental tear, pre-term contractions, as well as many more obstacles, endured all for me. Moreover,  my mother did not care how painful the treatment was, claiming, “The only thing that matters is getting the baby out healthy.” She went through many discouraging doctor visits, months of not even being able to touch her chest, and occasionally having a hard time breathing. But throughout this whole time, she told everyone to “worry about the baby, not me.”   For nine months, she put me above her own needs and desires. For nine months, she gave up her daily life to ensure that I would have a life. Overall, my mother’s actions throughout this obstacle make her sacrificial.

Another significant attribute to describe my mother is tenacious. My mother never abandoned her belief that God would fulfill his plans for her life. She describes it as an out- of-body experience, and could not wrap her head around the fact that this was happening to her. The one thing that she wanted so badly, could indeed be fatal. As any person would, my mother got disheartened when concerns kept happening, but every time God redirected her back to reconciliation and peace. No matter how bold or vigorous a hero is, they still are going to need help, and sometimes it takes a true hero to admit that. Maybe my hero would have not been as tenacious without God, but how strong would Superman be without Lois Lane? Those who get sucked into the idea that being bold and tenacious means needing no one, but those ways only lead you to be narcissistic with a worldly viewpoint like Batman. In conclusion, even if my mother was not tenacious all by herself, the fact that she let God guide her through her pregnancy makes her even more of a hero in my outlook.

Apart from these examples, my mother is also influential through her daily life. After I was born, my mother could not conceive any more children. As you can imagine, she was heartbroken. When I was three, my mother and father decided it would be a terrific idea to welcome another child into our home and hearts through the process of adoption. Three long years later, I had a little brother. My mother is an extreme supporter of adoption and she is currently planning to write a book encouraging other families to adopt! Not only that, but she has also been given the opportunity to write several blogs sharing her pregnancy experience, and encouraging others. At the end of one blog, she states that “If this article can help just one individual, then it would be worth going through all of that.” If that sentence does not prove how influential she is, I don’t know what does. My mother has not only influenced other women, but me as well. She always advises the most godly choice I should make in every occurrence. At a very young age, I started to undergo extreme anxiety, OCD, and other scary thoughts. Even then, I looked up to my mother as she was teaching me how to live without fear in my daily life. In a way, my mother helped me more than any medication or therapy could, and she never left my side through those long, miserable years. Along with many people, I admire my mother and have been influenced by her god-driven ways profoundly.

Self-sacrificing, tenacious, and influential are just a few words to describe my hero. Truth is, words can’t express all the reasons why she is my hero. She did not see the situation as her initiation to becoming a hero, she was simply doing what it took for me to be here. She almost died for me, someone she didn't even know yet. My mother deserves all the praise and admiration on the globe for saving me, but that is not who she is.  She does not want money or fame for doing what’s right like most ‘heroes’. One thing is for sure, my mother will always be my hero for being willing to give her life for mine. A hero may not always be obvious, they may hide in the shadows instead of standing in the spotlight. However, this doesn’t make them any less of a hero. My mom may not be well-known, but she is more of a hero to me than Superman will ever be.