My mom had to work to help out my father, so I had to go stay with babysitters. I remember one time when I was about one and a half years old my babysitter spanked me for no reason. I remember that she took off my diaper and she spanked me with a green belt that she had. Of course, when my mom went to pick me up, she noticed that something was wrong with me, and she saw the red marks that the belt had left on me. My mom got so mad at the babysitter that she punched her out. After that happened with the babysitter, my mom decided that she was going to stay home with me. Those were the greatest times I ever spent with my mother. We would go walking, and she would sing to me all these children songs that she knew from church. She would always keep me busy playing with me or letting me help her in the housework. Also, even though my mom did not know English very well, she showed me the letters, colors, shapes, and numbers in English and in Spanish.
When I was three years old, my mom got pregnant with my brother, and she told me that it was a little gift that God had sent for me. So, for nine months I watched my mom grow bigger and bigger. My birthday came, I turned four, and I got mad because my gift did not come. Then Christmas came. My grandparents came down from Mexico, but my gift was still not here. Then one morning, on January 6, 1987, I woke up and found that my mom had left. My grandma told me that my little gift had come to the hospital and that my parents had gone to pick it up. Later that day, we went to see my mom and my brother at the hospital and I was the happiest older sister in t
When I turned five years old, I started going to school. I went to Douglas Elementary School here in Tyler. I started in pre-kindergarten, but after a couple of weeks they passed my friend Iris and me up to kindergarten because they said that we were way ahead of the other children. I still remember the first words that I learned how to read. I remember that we had centers, and I made lots of friends. There was one day when I was in one of the centers and this little girl named Crystal was with me. Crystal broke one of the toys. and she blamed it on me. The teacher got so mad at me that when she asked me if I had done it and I said no, she grabbed me by my hair and grabbed me so hard by my arm that she bruised it. She told me to go sit in the corner for the rest of the day. When I went home, I told my mom what had happened and I showed her my bruises. She went down to the school to talk to the principal, but nothing happened to that teacher. So my parents moved me to a private school. I was in that school until I graduated from eighth grade.
In my eighth grade year, I had a great teacher named Mrs. Poe. She helped me a lot. She helped me to see that I could do everything that I put my mind on. Then for ninth grade. I went to John Tyler High School here in Tyler. There I also had a great teacher, Mrs. Shamsie. She always made time for her students and to help them out. That year, in September, I turned 15 years old and I had a quinceañera, which is when Hispanic people celebrate their daughter turning 15 years old.
The next year in March 1, 1998, we found out that my mom had cancer. We could not believe it because she never did anything harmful to her health. My parents found out that there was a doctor in Montemorelos, Mexico that cured cancer. So, we took her to Mexico, and my grandmother came to stay here with us. I thought that she was going to be okay because she was a great Christian, and she had all her faith in God. Plus, there were lots of people praying for her. On May the 3rd, they called us to tell us that my mom was getting worse, so we left in a hurry. I remember that when I saw her I wanted to cry because she was so thin and white. Then the doctor told my dad that there was nothing that he could do for her any more. So, we took her to Chihuahua, Mexico, to my grandmother’s house. We spent the last Mother’s Day together, of course she was in bed. and I just sat there reading the Bible and praying with her. Then on May the 13th at ten in the morning, she took her last breathe and died. I did not leave her side until they came to take her away. I had to grow up really fast and become the woman of the house. I had to take all the responsibilities that my mom used to do. Now it is going to be seven years and I still cannot get over it. Sometimes I just sit at home and cry because I miss her so much. She was my only mother and God blessed me by giving me the best that he could. All during high school, I became very depressed and I had to start going to the doctor. My dad has also helped me out a lot. My dad always makes me feel special.
In May 2001, I graduated from high school. Then in the fall I started to go to Tyler Junior College. When I started, my major was graphic arts and photography. That was my major for almost two years. But then I decided that I did not want to do that for the rest of my life. I have always wanted to become a teacher so I changed my major to early childhood education. Now I am about to graduate in May from Tyler Junior College. Then I plan to go to the University of Texas in Tyler. I want to become a great teacher. I want to help my students in anything that they need help with. I want to leave an impact in my students’ lives and in their parents’ lives. I also want to become a mother some day, and I want to be as loving as I can be, like my mother was with my brother and me.