Ever since I was a little girl I always felt that my mother and I were intustinglishabe in a way words couldn’t explain. My parents knew a lot of people throughout town from work and church, so occasionally we would go to their house for various reasons. Everytime we went, I always heard the same comment: “You act just like your mom.’’ Now as I’ve grown up I have realized that she has impacted my life and I have gained many different qualities and lessons from her over the years. Some of the things I have learned from her are how to be competitive; strong; and that sometimes you have to give up things for the ones you love.

I strongly believe that my mom gave me all of my competitiveness. When she was my age she did cross country skiing, and was very good at it. She had the chance to go to state three different times and every time she did she always got a new personal record. Now I’m not in cross country skiing, but I’m in competitive softball and I feel that I have just as much as competitiveness as she did. I have had the chance to travel all around the country playing softball, such as Arizona, California, New Jersey, Oregon, Iowa, and Indiana. I have also gotten the chance to be on the varsity softball team as an 8th grader and made all conference which I have worked so hard for.  Let’s go back eights years to when I was in Kindergarten my mother had gotten something, which taught me so much.

Cancer, my mother had cancer. Now some people may say this was the worst thing that could happen, and don’t get me wrong it definitely was, but I gained something from my mom which I could never forget. She taught me to be strong, not physical, but mentally. I have definitely have had my fair share of highs and lows, but never one like this. For four days straight, I just felt empty not sad just empty. I wasn’t upset towards someone I was upset about myself. Then I realized how upset my mom was about herself when she was sick, and how mentally tough she stayed. Ever since I have been able to keep myself mentally tough in situations in like these. When my mom was sick, what amazed me is how well she still loved and cared for us, giving up a bunch of attention towards herself and her health.

Since I was young, my mother constantly has given up precious things for both my brother and I, such as money and time. When my brother was in highschool we were both in after school activities, he was in speech and the plays, and I’m in softball and tennis. As most extra curricular activities are, they have competitions, or games. For 6 straight years, my mother gave up her time, and tried to make every single competition/game. She has also given up her money, as I said I'm in competitive softball and we travel a lot, and trust me it isn’t cheap! My brother is a junior in college and is going to continue past 4 years, he isn’t paying for his full tuition, so my mother is giving her money up for his education. I don’t know what it's like to fully give something up to someone just yet, but I know when I have children of my own, I will do just as my mother did to me and my brother.

Being competitive, strong, and learning to give things up for the ones you love, are all things I’ll cherish and pass down on to my kids. Competitiveness will help when getting a job, being strong will help with staying tough in situations where you just wanna give up, and giving up things for the ones you love is something you do to show your love for someone. She has taught me these things ever since I could walk and they have helped me through my life in various shapes and forms. This is why my mother has impacted my life in a significant way. I will forever be grateful to have her supportiveness and love always around me.