Role Model Paper on My Mother By Sean Grayson A role model is someone who you can relate with. It is someone who will be hopefully you learn from and in turn they learn from you. My role model is my mother. She had to go through a summer of hell and this is what happened to her and what I learned to. God gives you certain situations and you have to run with it.
I did not want big responsibilities. I figured, " Why should I worry about them, until I have to." My way of thinking was selfish. I have always been a little selfish, but caring at the same time. I didn't have that many real responsibilities. I had your typical chores. I had to do well in school, make sure my room was clean and try not to get in trouble. In my mind, I did not want to grow up until it was necessary.
Happy Mother's Day Mom!
Waiting on the porch on Mother's Day 2007
"French mutilé before being fitted with a mask by...Growing up came all too quickly.
In the beginning of May 2001, my mother was diagnosed with rectal and colon cancer. She developed cancer because she had ulcerative colitis since she was in her late twenties. It was always a thought, by many, that if the colitis got out of hand it could result in cancer. This thought never really crossed my mind.
I remember the day I found out that my mother had cancer. I came home from school and was eager to get changed and drive over to my girlfriend's house. I walked into the house and my father was standing at the kitchen counter and my mother was sitting on a chair crying. My father told me to sit down. He explained that my mother had been diagnosed with cancer and that she had to have surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. I was emotionally stunned but did not show it at that time. I left the kitchen got changed and left. I drove around and around thinking this was too surreal. I started to break down and cry, thinking that I might lose my mother.
After that night, it was a lot harder to focus on school, friends and work. I kept making excuses for why I did not want to do anything but sit at home. I studied the best I could for my final exams. It was hard to study with everything running through my brain. Since grades were always very important to my mother I tried to do well for her. I ended up getting a 3.0 for my junior year. I felt I owed that to my parents. Especially, my dad who had enough stress with his business doing poorly, having a wife that was sick and two kids to support. I felt that my doing well would take some stress off his shoulders.
The summer was starting and my mother was getting sicker by the day. My summer job was grounds keeping at a golf course from five-thirty in the morning until two in the afternoon. During my lunch breaks, I would drive home and eat lunch with my mom. I would always be a couple of minutes late coming back but it was well worth it. Since my mom was not doing well the doctors said she could not go on a trip to Atlanta to see her first niece get married. For twenty-six years she looked forward to seeing her dead brother's daughter's wedding. Needless to say she was heartbroken.
After getting a second opinion, surgery was scheduled for July 30th. The 30th came and we waited for what was the longest six hours of my life. My mother needed a total removal of her colon. She stayed in the hospital for a week. I went up to see her every day. I did whatever she wanted and did my best to be more responsible. I picked up my brother from camp and sometimes depending on what time my dad got home, made dinner.
When she came home I was very happy. She still was tired and didn't feel well, probably because she was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. In the meantime anything she wanted I did for her. Still, working a summer job during the day and extra chores at night left little time for anything else.
The week of September 11th I was working for the Red Cross Disaster Team. Since I was occupied there I didn't realize how sick my mom had become. Her temperature was very high and that Sunday following WTC she was put into a hospital. It turned out that she had peritonitis from a complication of the chemotherapy and almost died. I was overwhelmed with anger and sadness. Right or wrong school and everyone around me became unimportant. My mother stayed in the hospital until October 13th the day after my 18th birthday. When she came home I was so happy. Finally, everything was back in order. I thought that my life could get back to some state of normalcy. There was enough time left in the semester to pull up my grades. I started to do that, but I was in such a deep hole because I had spent so much time worrying about my mother that I didn't get the 3.0 that I wanted.
Soon after my first semester ended my mother restarted chemo treatments. After only four sessions she became unexpectedly ill. It seems she is one of a small percent of humans whose body fails to rid itself of the chemo. Mom had to stop the treatments and I have to hope the surgery and radiation are enough to cure her.
What I have recently begun to realize is that for seventeen and a half years I was going through the motions. I know life has a funny way of throwing you a curve. Life can be difficult and it can be short. Therefore it is important to make the most out of what life's opportunities present themselves to you. You should take nothing for granted and to always be prepared for the unexpected.
My mom showed a great deal of courage and fight from May on. She taught me that it is not all about yourself. I learned from her over the summer how to become an adult. She is the greatest inspiration I have and I would not trade her for anything.
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