The night the cops came I would’ve crumbled– but my mother, she refuses to be weak.
I was ten the first time my brothers got arrested. They were only twelve and thirteen when they shot a lady’s window out with a BB gun. She called it in and the police came and they raided our home, looking for the BB gun, while we were forced to sit on the couch and watch.
My mother was shaking,and crying with her face in her hands. But even though she was in a state of complete disbelief that night– come morning, she was back to cooking our meals, and carrying on with her motherly duties.
My mother is the most resilient person I’ll ever know. I expected us both to be traumatized, but we weren’t. When she bounces back from hardship, she always manages to bring me back with her.
Since that first time my two brothers got arrested, they’ve been in and out juvenile hall. And even though they’ve broken my mom’s heart on multiple occasions, she still gives them all of her love. They may take her for granted, but I never will.