my hero

14 November, 2013 by akiwigirlabroad 4 Comments

While I was growing up I went through phases of wanting to be Wonder Woman, Princess Diana, Jo March from Little Women, Samantha (Molly Ringwald) from Sixteen Candles, a Charlie’s Angel, Jane Eyre and Madonna. All these women had different qualities that resonated with me in some way; they were strong, opinionated, independent, intelligent, brave, they showed empathy and had integrity. With my overactive imagination I never really felt different from these characters/people, I always felt when I ‘grow up’ I will be just like them. The reason for this, was because I grew up with a real life hero who by example embodied the above qualities I admire. My real life hero that is my aunt.

Aside from my parents and my grandparents, it is my aunt that played the next most significant role in raising me. With the discipline side left to my parents, it was like having a big sister, or a very cool mum for it was with her I went to the movies, played scrabble, shopping, through her I read my first Jackie Collins at twelve years of age and as I got older her clothes I borrowed and it was she I would talk to about anything and everything.

Life has not been easy for her, but this is a woman who raised two beautiful boys, while working full time and putting herself through university to gain multiple qualifications. Whatever life throws at her, she remains resilient and just gets on with it as best she can. Whenever I feel like complaining or that life is just a little too hard, I think of my aunt and everything she has been through and the wonderful selfless person she is, and I snap out of any funk that I am in very quickly. One of my friends calls her a superwoman and that is exactly what she is. The bravest person I know, my hero – my aunt.

Love

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