Learning From the Past

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Carmen Rodriguez proudly stands with her children.

Ashley Ruiz, Reporter

Many people come and go through the span of a lifetime. Some can leave a bigger impact on you than others. Some may even stick with you through your whole life. Parents especially mean a lot to many. Parents often leave the biggest impact on their children and many others.
“I would tell her that I love her so much,” said Carmen Rodriguez, Selma mother of four.
Rodiguez lost her mom around eleven years ago. She now appreciates the time she has with her close family and friends. She has learned to keep moving forward but the loss of her mother has always stuck with her and always will. Memories will always stick with you no matter if they are good or bad.
“It made me treasure my mom more despite her flaws she had and take her as an example of how to be a better mom. I learned from her mistakes and saw how to fix them with my kids based on how she treated us” stated Rodriguez.
She was able to learn from her past with the time she was able to spend with her mom. As time passes she sees how to be a better mother herself. Having four kids can be a tiring chore but she was able to learn from her own moms actions. “She was very understanding of many things,” exclaimed Rodriguez.
She saw how patient and understanding of a person her mom was which influenced her into the type of mother she is to her own kids. It made her feel as if she actually had someone to talk to and she would be understood. She felt this close bond with her mom and was able to trust her.
“We were close because I was the oldest and the only girl. We would talk alot and I trusted her. She would also give me advice. She specifically would tell me about going with guys because she knew how different life would be,” Rodriguez said.
Having someone to be close to and talk to can always be a nice feeling. Especially when this person is your mother. Rodriguez’s mother would give her advice, she wanted to look out for her daughter and wanted nothing but the best for her. As time moves on, Rodriguez is able to see how big of an impact her mother had on her. She views how her mom was and thinks about how she can interpret these characteristics.
“I learned that I don’t have to depend on a man and move on alone. I was able to work for me and my kids to keep moving ahead, just like she did. She would also tell me to dress how I wanted to and to not be so afraid of what others think,” exclaimed Rodriguez.
As a single mother, Rodriguez is able to keep moving forward and a lot of her motivation is impacted by her mom. Even if her mom is not here still with her physically, she still sticks with Rodriguez mentally. Rodriguez stated a strong comment, she says, “Yes. I would feel complete with her.”
No matter all she has been through, she still keeps moving forward and gives her full effort learning to be a better person.