Everything I know about being a hardworking woman, I learned from my mother. When I was a little girl, she had a full-time job while she went to school to finish a second degree. No matter how busy she was, she still found time to come home and eat dinner with us.

She was also always there for us when we were ill. I remember how she’d hold my hand and tell me how she wished she could take away my pain.

About three years ago, it was my mother who had pain. Mother has never admitted her age, but she did mention something about menopause so we weren’t too concerned when she began to experience some heavy bleeding. She thought—and we accepted—that there was nothing she could do about it because it was a “natural” thing. That is, until the day she was so weak she couldn’t stand. My dad was the one who realized it was time to go to the hospital. My mom required four pints of blood.

She was dangerously anemic and to make matters worse, they discovered a growth in her uterus. I remember racing to the hospital from work, fearing the worst. When I saw my mom on the stretcher, weak and helpless, it made me wish I could take away her pain. She had surgery and the doctor removed the growth and sent it to the lab to get tested. It wasn’t cancer, which was a relief. The doctor said that if my mother had gone in for regular exams, she might not have ended up in the hospital.

My sisters and I learned a lesson along with our mom. Now we all make sure we get our annual exam.

I still admire my mom’s strength. I only wish she would have put herself first more often. I want her around for a long time, so she can see the influence she’s had on me.

-Jennifer Reyes
Fox 6