Joyce S

My mother is 109 pounds of pure heart. She has been through so much in her life. She lost her first husband, my father, to adultery. She doesn't talk about it much, but I'm sure it hurt her very much. Through the years since divorcing my dad, mom had very little help from him financially. He was involved very little. Mom worked hard to support and raise us and she did it on her own, never asking for government assistance and rarely harassing my dad for the help that she deserved.
She re-married after a few years to a man who, little known to her at the time, seemed to basically hate everyone, including her, my brother and I. After 7 or 8 years of verbal abuse towards her kids she decided to divorce him, for the sake of the 2 of us. He then attempted suicide but lived through that with a severe disability.
My mother tried to be compassionate, but he smothered her with his needs and demands. I was a senior in high school at this point, and she sheltered me from as much of this as much as she could.
Mom eventually met a great man. They were engaged to be married. That dream was shattered for her when my step father murdered her fiance in a jealous rage. He had threatened all of us, and the only reason that mom hadn't been murdered that same day was that she had been able to fight him out the door because of his disability. We thank God for that every day.
Afterward there was the pain of the trial, and having to testify. She suffered depression, but she overcame.
Mom married a third time. A wonderful man who adored her and loved my brother and I as well (we were grown by this time). He was a neat man, and provided for her financially. A security that mom had never known. They loved each other deeply. So it was very hard on her when she lost him to cancer after 20 some years together. I was scared for my mom then, I knew that she was strong enough to endure but it hurt me to think about her all alone so far away from my brother and I. Living 300 miles away I could not be there for her as much as I would have liked to be. But she is so strong. She toughs it out and is a beautiful person who would do anything for anybody. Her biggest concern in life is that my brother and I are happy and will be secure when she is gone. I do my best to set her mind at ease, and I try to get to mom's as much as possible to help out around the property and ease her burdens. She is so strong and loving. She has struggled through so many tragic details in her life. To me she is a huge inspiration and great example of overcoming life's road blocks. Her perseverance is admirable.
Today she is tough as nails, but still sweet as pie. And if I am ever compared to her in even the slightest way, I will know that I am on the right path to achieving my own beauty and love for life.
My mom is my biggest hero.

Submitted by Anonymous

Perseverance