Ode to Denise Braziel

I wanted to be big. I wanted a big house, I wanted nice cars and I wanted to be famous. The life of the celebrity on TV is the life that I think most people in the world would not mind having. However, as a young man, I felt that that life was all that I had ever wanted, and that I could hurt and manipulate whoever I wanted to obtain these dreams..

Obviously, as I was growing up, I was an idiot. For most of my youth years, my thing was sports, sports, sports. I figured my way to success would be made through the athletic field. You would think that since I had come to this conclusion I would work my tail off so that I would be in the best shape as possible in order to be the best athlete possible. That would be false. Actually, I felt that I was above the strains and stress of life, and lived accordingly. I wouldn’t lift my hardest, I wouldn’t ever study my hardest, I was rude, I lied to get what I wanted, and if there was a corner that looked like it could be cut, I was holding the scissors. Naïve is probably an understatement when it came to my view about life, I just wasn’t aware of the hard work and dedication that it took that was being displayed in front of my eyes on a daily basis. To make matters worse, I was a hellion of a child, and at many times, I was completely disrespectful and degrading to the woman who brought me into this world. In many ways, I was living a complete and utter lie.

In all seriousness, in my eyes my mother is the most selfless woman I know, I would put her up there with the great people of history, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, Denise Braziel, you can get the picture. When we lived in Virginia, she had a pretty modest job, it was very complementary to my father who had a very nice job. She nor my family ever had to struggle for anything, in fact, we were pretty well off in most opinions. As a high school graduate who only had one year of formal college education she had a very respectable job, while my dad, a Wittenberg graduate, had a very well paying job. However, once the we moved is when everything I thought turned to be completely different. I was overwhelmingly transformed by what the “real world” actually is. The relationship of my parents deteriorated and life got pretty difficult for my family. While most people would have quit, wallowed in self-pity and been deflated, my mother instead showed the true grit and determination that she has shown through out her entire life, and she was able to overcome the many obstacles that she had to face to become the woman that she is today.

Not only do I happen to be blessed to know the most amazing woman in the entire world, but I am doubly blessed in the way that I am able to call her my 'mom.' It is said that a “Mother's love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.” By looking at the actions of my own mother, it is easy to see why she is such a motivating force in my life. This woman has been for me through thick, thin, up, down, left, right, numerous threats, *cough, cough* rides to the police station and seemingly everything in between and I could write every word under the sun to complement this woman and it would not even scratch the surface. This woman is a fighter, a survivor, a friend, a sister, a leader, a mentor, etc., etc., and I could not be more proud of the woman that she is.

Through the lessons that were given to me by a great strong and caring mom, I have been instilled with a great sense of values and wisdom that has without a doubt made me the man that I am today. As Nancy Friday once said, “When I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child, I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself.” So, here's to the all of the Mothers out there, today is your day, and you deserve all the happiness in the world! To my mom, I love you with all my heart!!