When I was in the university, my mom was also in school. It didn’t make sense why a grown woman with a whole career would pursue a whole different degree in a different field. I would have understood if she was pursuing another masters or PhD but she was offering a totally different degree in early childhood.
As at that time, she explained to me that she had been in a field she wasn’t happy about. She had no passion for what she was doing and wanted to chase after her childhood dreams. For me, I thought “oh but it’s too late” and if you want to pursue your childhood dream why bother now? After all you’re making money from whatever you are doing now.
I couldn’t tell her what I thought because that would have been me discouraging my mom but deep down I felt it was too late. But she defied the odds and completed that degree. I saw her stay up late night to study for exams after coming from work very tired. I saw her juggle her work projects and academic projects. I saw all the frustration she dealt with just to get that degree.
If I’m being honest, I would have probably given up or halted after dealing with the kind of frustration it all came with. After all, I already have something going that gives me enough money. But she didn’t. She pressed forward and made sure at the end of it all, she’s achieved whatever goal she wanted to achieve.
She’s also probably the most optimistic person I’ve ever seen. My mom never says negative things even if it is so obvious that something is going to go wrong. Although I’m also very optimistic, I mostly like to call a spade, a spade. But my mom? She’s way different. Even if whatever happening has no solution, she still makes sure to stand strong and encourage those around her to hold on a little longer. And I have seen her do this not once, not twice but so many times especially with her siblings.
She’s literally the beacon of hope in the famiy and she does it effortlessly. And she doesnt just say things to make people feel better, she actually works towards them. There are days I see her working so hard on strategies just to make sure things work out the second time, other than just giving up. This is why my mother inspires me. My mom always go after what she wants. It might take days, years and might not even happen when she wants it to happen. But she never gives up come what may. And she’s always positive while at it.
This zeal she has to keep going no matter what has been motivating me and will keep on motivating me. Anytime I’m in a situation where I feel so exhausted and almost this close to giving up, I just sit up right, look in the mirror and ask myself, what would mommy do? And I just wipe my tears and keep going.
Images are mine