"Mommy" Anonymous

For as long as I can remember my mom has had this nickname for me. It may sound kind of strange, but she has always called me “Mommy”. While it may just be a nickname, I have always seen it as part of my identity.

My actual mom is no stranger to hardship; escaping a communist country, losing your mother, and being cut off from your family undoubtedly takes its tolls. Everyone I have ever met in my family has let her down at some point and I didn’t want history to repeat itself. My mom often tells my brother and I that we are the best things that ever happened to her, and after my father left us, I was determined to prove her right.

Growing up, we never had a lot of money, but never did I find myself without something I wanted. My mom was always prepared to sacrifice for us, no matter how great it was or how little we appreciated it. I made a pledge to myself back then, that I would do whatever it takes to provide for my family, just as a mother does her own child. And so, I became “mommy”. I helped guide my mother through the especially tough times and worked everyday to go beyond my regular familial obligations. My mother is strong, but nobody can make it alone, so when she cried, I comforted her, when money was tight, I...