Growing up, I often thought my mom was a superhero. As an adult, I still think that.
She has always known the answers to my questions and she has always been able to take on challenges that would leave most people running for the hills.
As a superhero, one must have a positive attitude, courage to fight for what’s right, the ability to bounce back from any injuries or explosions, and many other characteristics that would take too long to list here.
When I was 14 years old, I learned what it means to truly care for others when my mom took on the challenge of helping with the bulk of my recovery from a spinal fusion surgery that I needed due to severe scoliosis. This was the first major medical situation my family had to deal with, and it took us by surprise. It took me two years, many follow-up appointments, multiple physical therapy sessions, and my family’s support to recover.
Once that was over, we thought that we would be the end of our woes and we could live happily ever after. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always have a fairy-tale ending.
In 2020, my family’s faith was put to the test, as my mom was in a major car accident that continues to affect her to this day. Never have I experienced such breathlessness than the moment I learned of the damage that was done.
In a moment of distraction, a driver ran a red light and hit the passenger side of my mom’s car at a high speed. The collision caused her vehicle to spin multiple times before it came to a stop, a situation that could have easily killed her.
With the lifelong brain damage and difficulties ahead of her, did my mom give up? Absolutely not. Her dedication and determination to return to as “normal” as humanly possible is a feat I applaud to this day and will continue to be in awe of for the rest of my life.
I was really close to losing her, my superhero.
Despite the hardships she has experienced herself, she never stopped showing up for me and my family. In late 2021, I learned of another surgery I needed, but this one was much more intense. Without getting into too much detail, I was born with a malformation where brain tissue extended into my spinal cord, compressing my brainstem and providing a narrow pathway for spinal fluid to flow. Because of this, there was a fluid-filled cyst in my spinal cord that affected my motor function.
It was a roughly one month window that I learned of this condition and was scheduled for an operation that would leave me confused about my future, as I was in the middle of my junior year of college.
I won’t lie, I was scared. But guess who was there, holding my hand every step of the way and ensuring everything would turn out alright.
Despite COVID-19 restrictions threatening how much time a visitor could spend with me while I was in the hospital following my procedure, my mom sat next to me every second she was allowed. Paired with other circumstances from that time, I’m not sure my recovery would have gone so well without her.
I always coined myself my family’s medical problem child, but she has never made me feel like I’m a problem. In fact, she always encouraged me to fight for a solution for my problems so I could live a better, healthier life.
It would take forever to recount the moments that my mom has made me laugh, and the times that I looked to her to tell me everything would be OK. She has always been my rock, a safe place to land when life gets hectic, and, most of all, a friend that I can confide in.
This Mother’s Day, I’m going to buy my mom flowers and tell her just how much I love her, but actions and words will never truly capture how much her presence in my life means to me.
Unfortunately, not everyone is so blessed to have a supportive mother or a mother at all. I am truly sorry for those who may be struggling this Mother’s Day to understand why life turned out this way. I wish I had an answer for you.
No matter what, this upcoming weekend is the time to tell your loved ones just how much you care for them, whether it’s your mother, a mother figure, or someone else entirely. However, I’m a firm believer that you should be doing this every day.
To every mother out there, we wish you a safe and happy Mother’s Day.
