"I decided long ago never to walk in anyone's shadow, if I fail, if I succeed, at least I'll live as I believe." Sung by Whitney Houston, these are the words my mother lives her life by.

She is by far the bravest and most talented person I know. She doesn't play six musical instruments or go bungee jumping with me, but she can fix just about anything in the house and is not afraid to go her own way even when no one agrees with her. If she believes she is right, which sometimes is too often, nothing can stop her and no one can persuade her otherwise. It is very rare that she passes a wrong judgment on people.

My mother is forty-five years old and in excellent condition. She is an active golfer, and, until recently, she was a wonderful skier. She took me out to Colorado last year to go skiing, and on the first day of our ten-day vacation she fell and shattered her ankle. She was extremely brave and hardly cried. Her main concern was that I was okay. Even though her pain must have been almost unbearable, she insisted we stay. She didn't want to ruin my vacation. This is a prime example of how my mother is always putting my sister's and my feelings ahead of her own.

My mother is a beautiful woman. She looks about thirty-five, with short brown hair and a beautiful face and most important, an incredibly big heart. Like most mothers she only wants what's best, but I believe that she does more for us than most mothers do for their children. She doesn't surprise us with trips to Paris or Spain, or buy us new cars on our sixteenth birthday, but more important she constantly makes sure we are doing our best in school, and if we need help that she can't give us she finds someone who can help us. My mother believes that an education is the most valuable gift to give your child. In a way my mom reminds me of the road runner (you know, the little guy that goes "beep beep"): no matter what hits her, or how hard, she always gets back up and tries again, even harder.

Through my seventeen years, my mother has also taught me the most valuable morals and values to live by. These are the same ones she grew up with, which may have been a while ago, but good morals and values never change. I don't think I could ever repay my mother for everything she has done for me, but then again she's not the type who looks to be repaid. fl