End Week 2: Mommy!

“You don't get anywhere without hard work. Hard work will get you to the top and will distinguish you from the rest” is a famous quote my mommy lives by and instilled in me since I was a little girl. A role model pushes you to do your best and make you become something greater in life, which is exactly what my mom does. My mothers name is Marcelle Lopez and she grew up being one of eight kids in a mexican family with not much money or benefits like we have today. My mom grew up struggling throughout her life and in return she has made my life the best it could be. My mother is caring, loving, sweet, and the best friend anyone could ever ask for. We’ve always been told that me and my mom look like sisters. One memory I have of my mom was at my last swim meet of my high school season. It was a cold winter yet sunny day in Daytona Beach Florida. She was standing behind the diving blocks, alone, holding my parka and the heat sheet (so she knows what race I was in next). She was screaming my name, jumping up and down, hoping I’d come in first place. She was wearing white capris, a Boca High Bobcat Swim sweatshirt, and Uggs since it was so cold out. When the light from the sun hit her face her most beautiful flaws came out (her little freckles on her face or no makeup on her eyes). She has a tattoo of three hearts behind her right ear representing me, Nathan, and Nick which are my brothers. Her jet-black hair was so striking it caught everyones attention when she walked by. She wore her diamond dangling earrings that are always hard to miss. She couldn’t stop talking about how well I swam and how proud she was of me. Even though I’d always come in second and never first, my mommy always told me that “I did the best I could and whatever place I got in, she was just proud that I swam for her and tried my hardest.” Whenever I was down about something or upset my mom would be the first to ask me whats wrong and do her best to cheer me up. Without my mom I wouldn’t be the strong independent person I am today because without my mom I wouldn’t have amazing footsteps to follow.