to my mom
Hey loves!
Happy Mothers Day everyone!
I wanted to use today's post to say thank you to the woman who has literally gone through thick and thin with me. Whenever I am asked who my role model is, I say my mom. She is one of the strongest people I have ever met and she is an inspiration for me.
My mother became a single mom after my parents' divorce and she has killed it as a single mom! I could not have asked for a better person to look up to for all these years! My mom was dealing with a disease and had to go through a divorce on top of that, and despite all of that, she always put me first. Back when I was younger, I had no idea how much my mom dealt with at that point in time, but looking back now, I see how much strength it must have taken to be strong in these moments. Thank you for being so strong.
As many of you guys know, I left Germany at the age of 16 to move to Hong Kong. Back in 2016 when I received my acceptance letter for Li Po Chun United World College, I immediately called my mom. She was shocked, but she nonetheless supported me through it. She had never been to Hong Kong before at that point, but she still managed to give me super comforting hugs and tell me everything was going to be okay when I got scared shortly before leaving.
Going to a boarding school in Hong Kong was one of the best experiences of my life, but it was of course hard to be in a more competitive environment and to live on a different continent. My mom was there for me in the good and the bad moments. I could laugh and cry with her on Skype and I knew that she was always just a phone call away. I have no idea how you do it mom, but I am so grateful to know that you always have my back!
While I was gone, my mom also took over the care for our rabbit, Mümmeline:
You may think that taking care of a rabbit is not such a big deal, but that is simply because you have not met our rabbit. She is the cutest fluffy being on earth, but she also keeps you busy and she is very extra. My mom went out of her way to make our rabbit love her (or at least acknowledge her existence) and I am so grateful for that. Leaving my pet behind was one of the hardest things about moving and having my mom care for her and send me pictures and videos of her made it so much easier!
When my time in Hong Kong came to an end, I had to decide which university to go to. It came down to a choice between a more affordable option in the UK and an American university I very much wanted to go to but which offered me little financial aid. Although my mom had already put up a lot of money for my high school education abroad, she left this decision up to me. I know that I would have had her support if I had chosen the more expensive university and I cannot say how glad I am that I got to make this decision. At that point, my mom did not know whether she might have to move to a smaller apartment if I chose the other university, but she nonetheless gave me both options. She simply promised me that she would make it work either way.
My mom never asked for anything in return for this continued unconditional support and I cannot put into words how grateful I am for her!
Thank you for everything, mom! I love you!
Happy Mothers Day!
Lots of love,
Elena
