Inell J

My hero is my mother. Both she and my father showed us how to be good parents and people. Neither ever finished high school. With very little education (6th grade) she taught our family of nine the value of being frugal, (lots of bread-laden hamburgers)of treating others fairly, of character, and of having dreams. With her encouragement, and my father's discipline (Navy Chief Petty Officer) all of our family except one has completed college!! Several have advanced degrees, and outstanding military careers. She always encouraged us to be our best and to go to college. She knew that she didn't have the money, yet she always found a way to help us. She also taught us the power of faith, and of believing in God and ourselves. She always showed unconditional love to us as we grew up, and enormous inner strength. My father worked three jobs in order to take care of us, and she ran the house like a top. I can still remember the nights that we would get up at 3:00 in the morning to eat fried chicken sandwiches that my mom and dad brought home from ABE's 506 Club, a popular night spot where they cooked in the kitchen, while they counted tips. I still laugh at how six brothers and three sisters used only one bathroom, yet were never late to school!! When our house burned down, some years ago, she quickly organized a plan with her close friends to have us stay at three different locations, and never complained. She is and continues to be my strength, my rock. Now she is 84 and getting older. She still drives to church and goes to the store and gives to the needy. She has given many years to humanity, giving rides to those older than herself and sharing meals with others. She continues to live the life that faith talks about in a quiet, humble way. I love her dearly, and relish the years that she spent with me, raising me to be a caring, decent man. She continues to be the center, the core of our family, and keeps me grounded. I thank God for blessing me with such a wonderful mother.

Submitted by Anonymous

Humility