Mini-Project: Hand Coding Data

My mother

What characteristics about this individual stand out?

I would have to say that patience is her most admirable quality. It really takes a lot to get her upset. She’s always super-patient with her grandchildren, and now that I’m an adult, I realize that she was with my sister and I as well. She’s also a fighter. She had breast cancer ten years ago. She had nine surgeries in less than two years, including a double mastectomy and reconstruction. She fought through it, and I think she is healthier now than she’s ever been in her life.

How do the actions of the person impact you?

She has modeled to me how to be a godly wife and mother. She has also inspired me to continue my education and reach my goals. She has always been very supportive of me.

In what ways you are similar to this person and what ways are you are different?

My mom has a lot more patience than I do! That is something that I’m still striving for, but I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to have the amount of patience she has. The importance of faith and family is something that we share. We also both set high goals for ourselves and put forth the effort to achieve them.

How did this person’s actions impact the culture in which he or she lived?

She has been taking care of her aging mother for years now. My grandma has never been in good health that I can remember, but in the last 17 years, she has been on her deathbed more times than I can count. My mom retired from her job as a school counselor three years ago, and then spent two and half years taking turns with her sister to provide constant care for her mother, who is not really a good patient. Finally, because it was beginning to wear so much on the health and well-being of both my mom and my aunt, they decided to put her in a nursing home. I know it wasn’t easy for them, but it just got to where they couldn’t provide her with the care she needed. They still spend a lot of time with her, but I’ve seen my mom be able to return to her happy self. She was just so worn down while taking care of her mom. But even through that, her patience shined through. My grandma has moments where she is just really mean and says really hurtful things, even to those who love her the most and are making huge sacrifices to take care of her. Although I know it hurts her, she still just keeps her cool and continues to do what needs to be done. I think this is a good example of how she impacts culture, because many elderly people are just forgotten about in our society.

Is there a personal impact on your motivation, perspective(s) or goals due to this person’s achievements?

I think the way she modeled the importance of education to me led me to where I am today. She was a high school drop-out, who later received a GED. When I was in elementary school, she decided to go to college to become a teacher. Later, she went back for her Master’s degree and became a school counselor. She’s the only one in her family who has ever accomplished anything like that. I think seeing her do that instilled in me the value of education. I. too, became a teacher and a school counselor. That role is the one that led me to pursue my Ph.D. in educational psychology.