This I Believe by John J.
I believe that if your parents raised you your whole life up to this moment they are
considered heroes. They took the challenge head-on and decided to have you.
It might have been unexpected or it might have been planned, but they still kept you and raised
you.
I believe that all parents are heroes because of my own experience. My mom
had me when she was still in high school and it was totally unexpected. This put a halt
on many things she did and wanted to do and it completely changed her life. My mom
took the challenge though and kept me even though my biological dad didn't and still
doesn't care one bit about me. At first, she struggled to feed herself because she fed
me first over herself. But with the support of her dad and friends, she was able to get by.
This doesn't mean it was easy because she still had to find a way to raise me and try to
make my life and my newly born sister's life as good as she could make it.
Then when I was eight she met my present dad. He's my stepdad but I consider
him my own father. He knew that by getting in a relationship with my mom, he would
have to step up to raise my sister and me. It started off very well because he really liked
my mom. You could tell that my mom really cared and loved him back. They were
always having a good time and it was fun. It took me a little bit longer but
eventually, I started to really like him too. I was also starting to get close to him and
enjoy spending time with him. So eventually I opened up more and let him in, which I
am very grateful that I did. After a while, we moved into a new house and my mom got
pregnant with my little brother, who is now 12. This was unexpected but exciting
because this time my mom and dad were prepared. This time they had it right. They
now knew the mistakes that they shouldn't do and the new things or same things that
they should do to raise him as good as we got raised.
With three kids it must have been, and still is, hard, but my parents always find a
way to keep us happy even if it means they miss out on something. That is what a true
hero is: Having the willpower to push aside your needs and to help others even if it
doesn't benefit you. Having the strength to make yourself uncomfortable to make
someone else comfortable. Being able to raise a human RIGHT is an extraordinary
thing all in itself. Family is a wonderful thing. This is why I believe that all parents are
heroes if they are willing to raise a child.
