More often than not, we do not appreciate or even understand how the important people in our lives affect us.

My mother passed away not too long ago from cancer, and it was only when she was gone that I came to understand and appreciate her for all she did.

For a lot of people, the fight against a cancer diagnosis involves doing everything humanly possible to get ahead of the disease. I saw my mom attend chemotherapy treatments, lose her hair, get surgery and recover, and all these things were visible ordeals that she endured. What I was not able to see was the internal struggle she dealt with on a daily basis that concerned her duties as a mother conflicting with her health.

Between my parents, my mom was always the stable figure looking out for others above herself, often in spite of herself. She believed that if she was not able to work, our family would fall apart and so she chose to work, putting off treatment for a long time. It was only when her condition made it impossible to function that she got treatment; at that point, it was too late.

While the memories above are enough to make my mom an inspiration, I believe that her most endearing qualities were shown during the lighter moments of life that I had the opportunity to experience with her.

As sort of a tradition, my mother and I would make late night visits to our favorite food spots. This tradition came about as a result of my mother’s early morning work hours and our car rides when I would pick her up. During these times, we would talk about everything like best friends. These memories have been my fondest recollections and they are what I remember most about my mom.

Ever since I was a child, my parents made it so that I could grow up a normal child who did not have to worry about anything other than being a kid. My mom took this ideal to the extreme, and she displayed a sense of duty that I know I will never see again. She made me feel like a special kid and because she chose her family over herself time and time again: my mom is my inspiration.
In saying that my mom is the most influential person in my life, I reflect on a bittersweet experience that still affects me today. There are a fair amount of bad experiences with the good. When I think about her, I think about the sadness of losing her, the emptiness of where she used to be, the happiness she instilled in me and a mixture of other emotions. She taught me what it takes to be the greatest version of myself and it is something I don’t think I will ever be able to truly acquire, but getting close is more than enough.