By Mac Pomeroy
I don’t say it enough, but my mom is one of my biggest supporters. All throughout my life, she has been one of the people to push me the furthest. She is the first person to listen to my concerns and the first to tell me to go for it.
She has always been there to stand up for me. She will tell me when I am letting fear hold me back, and when I need to reach further. Even with tough love, she is there for me. Truthfully, I don’t think I would have applied for this job if not for my mom telling me to give it a shot.
The reason I say this is because as I have gotten older and more into my college career, I find myself wanting to be more independent. I still live at home, I don’t drive, I just have my small jobs and small life. And it’s absolutely fine. But sometimes I get impatient, and I want to move onto the next big thing.
It’s normal. Eventually a bird will feel the wind and want to fly away from the nest. But it is also important to acknowledge the people who helped us along the way. For me, it is the woman who built the nest.
We don’t become who we are on our own. Many of us here at Youngstown State University are trying to earn our degrees so we can take off to whatever comes next in life. Sometimes, however, we can become rather consumed with moving forward. We don’t stop and look around at who pushed us towards our goals.
For some people, this may be one of their parents. For others, it may be a teacher, or a friend, or a different relative. But regardless of who those people are, it’s important to always take a step back and appreciate them.
Without my mom, I would not have gotten anywhere close to as far as I have today: physically, mentally or education-wise. I know a lot of people would have given up on me much sooner, but not her. Every day since I was born, she has worked her rear off to make sure I could overcome any obstacle that came my way.
She has had to argue with doctors, teachers, everyone, to make it known how much she believed in me, and what she knew I was capable of. She did not let anyone give up on me or put on limits on my life. She’s been my ally since day one.
I’m sure many of you have someone who you can say has also been your backup. Someone who believes in you and just wants you to be happy and successful, whatever it means for you. As you approach closer to your degree and to your goals, take a moment. Stop. Think about who that person is. What they have done for you.
Say thank you to them. To your own allies in life. I know for my mom, she never expects a thank you, but I try to say it as often as possible. However, for these people, there will be enough appreciation for what they have done.
My mom has worked hard everyday since I was born, and even now, she works hard to make sure I can go even further. I will never be able to thank her enough.
