When most people look at my mom, they see a happy woman who is always willing to listen to anyone and everyone’s problems. She is thought to be selfless and extremely caring towards any person–even those she may not necessarily like. But, many do not realize what is going on beneath the surface.
Throughout my childhood, I was not very close with my mom. I regret this because I could have been there for her when my dad was working in Miami, Florida and commuting from NY weekly. She was alone at that point. Her parents and her brother all lived in Greece and she was alone raising three kids in elementary school.
When I look back at this time, I wonder how that was possible. How could someone move to a new town, with her husband hundreds of miles away and no support? My siblings and I fought so much that it was unimaginable. The three of us are all very close in age which adds even more stress to mom. I remember her always on the phone talking to my grandmother in Greek. I understood what she was saying, but I did not realize how she felt: how lonely she was.
When I talk to her now, we talk about how much things have changed. I know that she had a very difficult time during that period when my dad worked far away. However, things seemed to have gotten easier when my dad moved to New Jersey for work. He was home every day except Tuesdays and Thursdays. This meant that my siblings and I would have two disciplinaries rather than one. We loved our family game nights.
No matter the situation, my mom continued to strive as the selfless figure she is: someone who is there for both friends and family. During my senior year of high school, one of my good friends passed away. Despite being at an appointment, my mom showed up within twenty minutes to not only comfort me, but also my friends after just a phone call from the school counselor. She seems to be prepared for almost anything at all times. In the good times and the bad, she has been my go-to.
I cannot imagine what the transition to college would have been like if it had not been for our daily phone calls and the sporadic inspirational and beautiful messages I got from my mom. When I talk to other girls my age about the relationship I have with her, I often get questioned about how I am so comfortable talking to my mom about everything–from grades to boys, to even the littlest fashion advice for when I want to go out. My answer is always: who else can I trust? She has created relationships like this with not only me, but also my younger siblings. We know that if we ever need to talk to someone about something, anything, she will be there.
When people talk about mom, their responses are always positive. I have noticed the way her friends talk to her. They tell her all their problems, and she listens without stopping them to talk about the difficulties in her own life. She is a listener, a giver.
Everything I know about being a strong woman came from my mom. With her guidance, I’ve become accustomed to carrying myself in all kinds of situations. She taught me what it is to be a friend: how to be there for my loved ones unconditionally. She is one hundred percent my role model in everything I do, and I aspire to be just like her when I have a family of my own, one day.