My Mother, A Superhero of Caring

By Virginia Alves

Five thousand, one hundred and fifty two. That’s how many miles away from her home country, Brazil, my mother raised me and my three younger siblings.

This Mother’s Day, I’d like to think back on everything she’s done for me. The past 21 years couldn’t have possibly been easy. Raising four kids in a country where they don’t speak your native language, you have no family to ask for help and everything is different—it was difficult, but my mom made sure I had everything I ever needed.

Caring for her children has always been my mom’s number one priority. I remember days when our afterschool schedules were so hectic that she’d spend hours driving back and forth, taking us from ballet classes to soccer practices and still squeezing in time to make dinner. I honestly think my mom might have superpowers.

Her “superpowers” are so powerful that she can help with any school subject, whether it’s math, science or even history. She constantly pushes us to do our absolute best at school and in life, and she’s always there for us no matter what the situation.

Even though she sometimes has to tell us to do the dishes more than once, or doesn’t let us have friends over before we clean our rooms, her superpowers make us love her no matter what.

These superpowers seem to be lasting her a while, but will they last forever? I often think about how this mother-daughter caregiving will have a role reversal at some point during our lives.

If we’re like most families, my mom will probably outlive my dad. And the vast majority of older women will need long-term care. So this Mother’s Day, I’m going to be sure Mom knows that I will always be at her side. The ways I will eventually help look after her might be a little different, but the main focus will be the same—giving love and care to someone who means more than everything else in my life.

I hope to someday be like my mom, a superhero of caring.