My Mom, My Dragon

Women have always had to be strong throughout history. They have fought battles and even been prevalent in worship. A woman's strength does not necessarily show in physical strength but in her ability to maneuver a situation. She stands up and can defend herself and her family in many ways. In my family, the women have been strong, confident women despite their circumstances. They survived through pain and not the most extraordinary circumstances. The one who has affected me the most is my mother. She has been my Dragon throughout my entire life.

She is not as physically strong but has always been the rock of my family. My dad provides for his duties but is entirely lost without her.

She was the one with the rules when I was young. Being so young and far from immediate family, she developed her skills when dealing with the four of us. My mom kept it all together when things were not significant or were frustrating. Growing up, I see my mother's reasons for the meanness as a child. I even smart-mouthed her once, only to have a worse punishment. She was doing her best, and we all became working adults after our early stages. She stayed home for a long time to spend time with us when we were little but only took on jobs when we were older. Her strength can be seen looking back and seeing that it was not easy to raise children. She did this through love and compassion. At times, punishments were necessary but not wanted.

We all eventually got taller than we had thought. My mom's words to us were, "Just because you are taller, I am still your mother." She comes from a long line of strong women, including my grandmother. Looking back on all those years, it brings me joy to think that, at the time, she was mean and went to a mean university or tyrant university. She was strong and handled most of it with grace. One time, my siblings and I irritated her so much that when my dad came home from work. She said," I am going out!" My dad just told her, and no one remembers what we did. We also called "Mom" so much that she would say, "I am changing my name and not telling you what it is. If you do not call me by that name, I will not respond."

Though she never stops worrying about us. She asks for her phone calls and texts if we make it to a place. If anything goes wrong, she is the first to help you. A time or two, my car needed to be fixed. I was stuck in places, and she always picked up the phone. Despite how little sleep she would get, she came to pick me up, including my car dying on the side of the road. Her constant concern and putting her own priorities second. I guess she held us as babies and wiped our butts, now today giving advice about life and love. She even loves the grandkids more and has held both. Her compassion when they are in pain makes them feel so much better.

Even in the accident, my sister and I regretted not sitting in the middle. My mom was hurt with several broken ribs and is in my story, It Was the Perfect Day. She never blamed us and even said it should have been her instead. I have never been so wrecked without knowing how she was doing. She persevered through over a year of recovery and even being able to go back to the gym. I know she is still in pain, but she has proven that strength comes from within her heart. I know she will never want to see any of us hurt. I can trust my emergency contact since she will make the best decision possible.

She has cooked endless dinners and raised four kids without losing her mind. She started out as a parent but now is my friend as an adult.

When we were little, she would say, "I am your parent, not your friend." Now, they are funny sayings, but I was just a child. I never realized how much she gave up raising us with my dad's decent paycheck. We always went with love, and she taught us strong morals and virtues to live by. I do not know what I would do without my mom. She has been my Dragon, protecting and guiding me in making good decisions. Her love has always been there in every circumstance from childhood till now.