A Hero

 

Michael Higgins

 

 

            You may not realize it, but you may already be someone’s role model, someone’s hero.  It’s such an amazing concept.  Stop and think for just a moment about those around you.  This ability to influence others is extraordinary and yet it can be so easily misused.  Mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, anyone can be a hero.  Young or old, male or female, heroism has no prerequisites.  Heroism amounts to more than just saying and believing in certain ideas.  It is only through action that heroes emerge.  I say this as a means to understanding the true traits of a hero.  While there are those who preach of wonderful things, it is the hero who goes out and accomplishes the extraordinary.  Firefighters are heroes.  Police officers are heroes.  Every time firemen storm into a burning building, they risk their lives to save others.  Every time police officers go to work, they fear the might not be coming home that night.  Their willingness to risk their own safety and sacrifice their own well-being to protect others is a true example of what heroism is all about. 

           

However, these aren’t the only heroes in our world.  There are many heroes that often go unrecognized for their wonderful actions.  I know a hero.  Her name is Linda Gomez.  I have known Ms. Gomez for as long as I can remember.  It was so long ago that we were first introduced that I cannot imagine life without her.  What makes this woman a hero is the ability she has shown to overcome all obstacles.  It was not until 1994 that I began to understand just how special this woman truly is.  After going through a messy divorce from her husband, it was the court’s decree that the children of the marriage be sent to live with their father.  Unfortunately for her, this decision had been very likely since the beginning of the divorce proceedings.  While the husband had obtained a first-rate lawyer, Ms. Gomez, not having much money, had no choice but to use a court appointed attorney.  This did not bode well for her.  Even though I believed Linda to be the appropriate choice for custody, her lawyer dropped the ball and allowed the husband to walk out of court with the children.  I witnessed first-hand her disappointment with the ruling.  Tears of sadness ran down her face and drove me to tears of my own.  Up until that point, these 4 children had meant everything to her, and to suddenly have them stolen right out of her arms was unbearable. 

 

Faced with the realization that she no longer had her children, Ms. Gomez took on a second job and sold many of her possessions to obtain the service of a private attorney for use in a second custody hearing.  Even though this meant working seventy to eighty hours a week, she felt the end result would truly justify the means.  With this new attorney by her side, a reversal of fortune occurred when the court returned custody of the children to their mother.  This time with tears of joy instead of tears of sadness, Ms. Gomez proudly took her children home.  I remember speaking with her after her victory, and I remember seeing this sparkle in her eyes that hadn’t been there since before the first court ruling.  She never gave up hope and fought long and hard for a just cause and gained back what she cherished most. 

           

Now that she had finally regained her four children, Ms. Gomez understood that raising them would not be easy on her own, but it was something she knew she wanted to do.  Raising a family is hard enough when there are two parents to share the responsibility; to do so alone is nearly impossible.  Any parent can readily agree with the notion that to properly raise one child requires a significant amount of money.  Now imagine multiplying that times four children.  Her two boys and two younger girls ranged from a high school freshman to a Kindergarten student.  Just to take care of these children financially Ms. Gomez found herself forced to keep the second job, meaning that at least sixty hours of her week had to be devoted to work.  This does not even take into account the aspects of parenting besides the financial obligation.  As the single parent of the household, she bore the responsibility of watching and caring for the children.  This placed a lot of responsibility on the eldest son, but there was simply no other option available.  While the father paid child support at times, it was not always a certainty.  Every question that needed an answer, every story from school, every problem at all, Ms. Gomez was the only person available to handle these dilemmas.

           

I have seen these children grow and mature over the past six years since the ruling and can say without a doubt that something truly special has occurred within each of them.  Ms. Gomez has done a remarkable job in raising them and should be incredibly proud of what she has done so far.  The eldest son progressed successfully through high school and is now attending college.  The younger son is a great friend of mine who I speak with at every opportunity.  The two daughters are very intelligent young women who are learning more and more with every new day.

 

I have seen the absolute selflessness of this woman.  She has sacrificed so much of herself for the betterment of her children.  While she may not make a lot of money, every dime she has goes to her children in some shape or form.  Even though her son receives financial aid for his college attendance, there is still a great amount of cash due every year.  Split between two parents, this amount would not present a great problem, however this matter is no simple case.  The father of the boy has chosen not to assist with the son’s college funding and has forced Ms. Gomez to produce the entire amount on her own.  Because of the existence of the three other children, this is extremely difficult for her.  Never once though has she complained or been unable to provide him with the money.  In her I see a true hero willing to do anything to take care of her children.

 

This parent’s love for her children is so deep that nothing could destroy it.  She is a mother so loving of her children that her own wants and her own wishes are merely afterthoughts.  To know a hero is to be truly blessed.  Twenty years of life has shown me that Ms. Gomez is indeed a hero.  She has sacrificed so much of herself and has the characteristics of a true hero.  She is extremely giving, absolutely selfless and willing to lend a hand in any possible situation.  I’m so grateful that I can call her mom.