When you think of a hero, you might think of a warrior rescuing damsels in distress, fighting monsters, and saving the day. Currently, there is a lack of monsters and damsels in need of rescue. I look for something different and more practical in my hero. The things I look for are all found in my mother, Linda. I am not talking about physical traits like her golden brown hair and honey eyes. I am referring to epic traits found only in some. These include an adventurous spirit, a giving heart, a Christian faith, and a positive attitude.
I admire my mom’s adventurous spirit. Linda enjoys planning and sharing challenging experiences with our family. Without her, I would never have attempted these feats. We have made some thrilling memories together. For example, when I was young enough to be carried on her back, she took us swimming with the manatees in open water. It is difficult to describe the intensity of emotion that I experienced. I was both curious and terrified; therefore, she encouraged and told me that everything would be okay. These thrill seeking vacations became the usual. One of her favorite quotes was, “Live life, and live it hard.” This means to live life to the fullest. However, sometimes my mom wanted to live life a little too hard for me. Multiple times, my life flashed before my eyes, as I participated in activities ranging from wrestling alligators with my bare hands to class five white water rapids. In my mom’s eyes, jumping off a cliff was a piece of cake. As the youngest, I had two options; jump off the cliff with my family, or be left behind. I trusted my mom when she promised that it would be a blast, and it was. Her favorite memory was riding mules down the Grand Canyon because it combined her love of nature with her love for death defying experiences. Her spirit has emboldened me to take risks and try new things.

As my role model, my mom has impressed upon me the importance of volunteering or “giving back.” Linda leads by example, giving her time and her heart. She has worked as a junior high leader for the past 22 years and loved every minute of it. She coached my soccer team as a child. Her enthusiasm made up for her lack of soccer knowledge and terminology. She spent four years as the leader of my boy scouts group to ensure that I had fun and had a great experience. She has volunteered me, against my will, to help in the church and nursery. Even though I did not choose to do this, I had a great time and made new friends in the process.

My mom is a woman with strong moral character. This is a very admirable life quality that I strive for. Her goal is to instill Christian values in her children. She is more proud of me when I am kind hearted, generous, and patient, than when I bring home good grades or do well in sports. She would tell me every day before school, “Talk to someone sitting alone. It could change their day.” With her vast biblical knowledge, she gives me practical and shrewd advice. I wish to give others as good of advice as she has given me. Her Christian faith has been put to the test numerous times. My mom had to rely on God during some health struggles such as kidney stones and the prospect of having cancer. God gave her peace during times of uncertainty and clarity to focus on what is most important in her life. I hope I can make family and good character traits a necessity for my life.

I admire that my mother is a very happy and positive person. Her secret to happiness is, “Do what you love and pursue your passions.” This quote has gotten her through many difficult times. It took my mom many different jobs to see what she liked and what she was passionate about. Her jobs ranged from a waitress to a teacher. She used her teaching degree to start her own day care and preschool. Linda is also a full time mother. Cooking, cleaning, and nurturing are her passions. I plan to choose a career I enjoy regardless of the salary like my mom decided to do.
Odysseus, the raider of cities, has many of the same qualities. They both share an adventurous life, a giving heart, a faith in God, and a positive attitude and outlook on life. Odysseus was an adventurer at heart. He not only liked adventure, he looked for it. It was a rarity to ever see him back down from a challenge. This reflects my mom’s adventurous side in more ways than one. Odysseus respected and honored the gods. The gods were an enormous part of his life, as God is an enormous part of my mom’s life. My mom turns to God in her time of need, as does Odysseus. Odysseus placed a high value in his family by fighting for them and putting them as a first priority. Even after 20 years at sea, he could not think of anything else but them. This family dedication is very similar to my mom’s. Finally, Odysseus pursued his passions. He pursued the chance to get back with his family. I know for a fact my mom would do anything for my family, and I know I would do anything for her.