As I began to search for who has had the biggest impact on my life, I realized that I looked in all of the wrong places. I debated on sports team coaches, celebrities and people that really haven’t changed the way I live my life. It occurred to me then to go with the person who molds me into the person I am when I wake up each morning: My mom, the person who juggles all of my extracurricular activities, gives me luxuries which can only be provided as the prize of hard work and the one who pushes me to be the best that I can be.

My mom has always been the type of person to put everyone else’s needs in front of hers. My sisters and I can always count on her to be at every important event going on in our lives, cheering us on from the sideline. She makes us her main priority and would give us the shirt off of her back if it meant helping us. Maybe she’s not completely happy or content with herself, but she never wants us worrying about her. My amazing mom, kindhearted and strong, outdoes any other person who impacted my life.

I remember how bright and warm it was. But it stopped. It all stopped. My grandma received the diagnosis of breast cancer. Seeking to find happiness, my mom held our family together when nothing seemed to be going right. Undergoing many treatments and chemotherapy sessions, my grandma was ready to give up. The cancer began to eat away at her hope. My mom made her understand that although life may take you to rock bottom, family is made for bringing you back up.

Anxiety overtaking, I couldn’t stop feeling so upset. Everything seemed to be so pointless. Growing up, every teenage girl dips their toe into the massive whirlpool of boy problems. I’ve had my fair share, and my mom has walked me through each problem I’ve faced. She’s very comforting, loving and supportive, which is what every girl needs their mom to be. Helping me, she has shown me I can be like her too. Having someone who knows exactly how to tell you that you’re greater than words can ever depict, is worth more than any coach that could tell you good job for scoring the winning goal. Mom has been my shoulder to cry on since day one, teaching me to never give up when things get rocky.

Hands shaking, I get angry at my mom. But at the end of the day, I am glad she cares. I’m glad she reprimands me about my grades, my job, my hobbies and everything else I engage in. Although she may scold me, she also praises me. The slightest things that she says makes me feel greatly loved. She will always tell me how pretty I look, how hard I work, and how well I handle things, based on the lessons she’s given me.

My mom lost a lot of weight in the past year. Training day and night, she went to the gym to begin the process of making her own happiness matter. I’m proud of her and inspired by the way she took charge of her life. Even when she didn’t want to go to the gym, she still did, because she wanted progress. We began eating healthier in our household, which not only benefited her, but also impacted the rest of us. My mom makes herself happy now. Although she may not like her appearance, I think she is a beautiful woman, who has taken on more than many people could handle. The experience that my mom has shared with others has optimized me, showing that with people to cheer you on and help from motivational people, you can love yourself. Her body, twisted and tormented, gained the strength and displayed the story of someone who wanted to be the best they could be, which is what my mom pushes me to be.

She has done much more for me than open a tough fruit cup, pull my hair into a ponytail and erase the bad dreams that I’ve had. Mom has proved that she believes in my dreams, even when my hopes for them are low. She has taken me on many unforgettable vacations, many unforgettable places and helped me recognize the importance of family. After receiving a scholarship, my mom attended Waynesburg University for college basketball. Putting hours of time and practice to perfect her free throw, shoot a clean three pointer, and be hard on herself, all paid off when she worked to score over a thousand points in her basketball career.

The road tangled until we seemed to stop. We had driven hours to my gymnastics competition. I could see the exhausting look on my mom's face, but she tucked it away to cheer me on. No matter how badly she doesn’t want to be there, she always has been. Even if it means cancelling something else, my mom has always been there. Whether it was a chorus concert, a gymnastics meet, a soccer game, a cheerleading game, or anything else, mom dropped everything to be there. She understands the meaning of having children, which is focusing on molding your kids to become something. Someone. She gave up many things to become a mom, and a great mom, too. She has always been strong for me, hiding her tiredness and her sleepiness just to support me.

To conclude, my mom, my guide to evolving who I become after the years pass, inspires me more than any essay could ever describe. No amount of words could show the thanks that I owe her for making sure I turn out good. At the end of the day, her flaws make her who she is, and that’s why I am so proud to call her my mother. As Randy Pausch once said, I think I won the “parent lottery,” because my mom is the most impactful person in my life. The way I think of my mom, is the way I want my child to think of me someday. I want to live my life to grow up to be like her. Maybe she’s not famous, nor has she ever come up with any life-changing invention. At the end of the day, though, behind all of my choices, my decisions, my values and my emotions, stands my mom, which means more to me than anything else. A celebrity can change lives with money, while my mom has worked her whole life to mend mine more effectively than anyone or anything ever could.