After working until 6, she would come home to drive me straight to dance, then start cooking dinner, then help my sister with homework, then wash the dishes and so on until everyone was off to bed. She was the last one to go. This has always been my mother's life, and she did it effortlessly for so many years. She was the mom who would go shopping with her kids and buy nothing for herself. The only thing she would allow herself was a red manicure every other weekend. But as a girl growing up I certainly tried to keep up with the other girls. I wanted to buy new clothes every weekend so I didn't repeat outfits. My mom bought me anything if I simply answered yes to “Minha filha você precisa disso?”*
My mom signed me up for everything growing up. She wanted me in every sport until I said otherwise. Besides exposing me to a lot of exercise, she wanted to make sure I was trying everything before giving up on a sport. That’s the mindset she planted in me, and that I hold on to for dear life. My mom openhandedly paid for the fees, and I filled out the registrations. I remember liking in a weird way filling out the forms because I got to feel like an adult.
I'm 17 now and see that the long restless days drain her of her energy, that her red manicure is still perfect but her skin has become rough from Soft Scrub and Clorox. Her patience is running out by the end of the day, so I’ve stepped in to help. Once I got a job, I realized how hard it was for me to save my money. Although I always appreciated what she did—since she always did remind me—I came to understand how much she must love me to buy me all those clothes and let a child decide if she needed them. She wanted me to have whatever I could, since she didn’t have that growing up. But we never had the resources I thought we had. What I admire about her is she always donated the clothes my younger sister and I outgrew to someone who couldn’t buy it. I watched in silence.
I look forward to the day when I’ll have the resources to treat my mother back, when we can go the mall together and not have to worry about how much we’re spending. It’s not for the luxury; just for the peace of mind. And I hope to be like her and share the wealth, whether it’s a lot or barely enough.
*My daughter, do you need this?
College Essay
Brianna Medeiros, 2017
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