My Wonder Woman
My experience with education has always been straightforward schooling wise, but at home, I was given so many lessons that the world never gave me a warning about.
My mom, a single parent raising 3 children on one paycheck, housing any cousins that needed it, all whilst keeping us all in check, needed a relief in her life. She needed support and stability, just like everyone else in this world, I never realized she did. I viewed her as my Wonder Woman. I gazed upon her collections of memorabilia, countless pins, book bags, anything you could think of. It was a beautiful collection for a beautiful woman, an amazingly hardworking one at that, it truly encapsulated her. The day she asked me if it was okay to meet her Superman, I couldn’t have been more excited! A new edition to our ever-expanding family.
For the first few months, this man was brilliant, he cooked, cleaned, and even joked around with me. Until it all started. Every day, unpredictable comments were said to me and my Wonder Woman, “You can’t do anything right!”, “You’re a whore!”, “You are worth nothing!”. Every single waking moment in his presence quickly became completely hellacious. I woke up every morning wondering if it was going to be a meal or more yelling.
On bitter days, I expected my Wonder Woman to be brave, just like in the movies. I wanted her to save us like just Wonder Woman saved the world. But after about three months I realized, my mother was just a human, a human that was just like me. I couldn’t be mad at her any longer, it was her first time living and making mistakes too. I realized she was scared and angry just like me, she thought she wielded no power against him so over time she didn’t anymore. She wasn’t any different, she wasn’t from Themyscira, and she definitely didn’t have the Lasso of Truth! I wanted the truth of why she let this happen. I was conflicted between knowing if I saw her as human, or a superhero.
Finally, my pain ended, he was gone, for good this time. One argument became too much for her, she came to a realization that he wasn’t worth a single tear. A year passed, I couldn’t do anything but wonder why my mother chose a man over me — over her family. Until I realized, this is her first time being alive, just like me, just like anyone else in this world. This system wasn’t built for anyone, the one that expects us to do it all no matter the circumstances or situation we’re in, like we’re superheroes. I was taught the lesson that life throws boulders at anybody, even the people you look up to.
I was given the realization that not many are given. This was a moment of growth for me, I saw exactly what not to look for in a person, the signs to avoid. This was one of the many tribulations I will face in this lifetime. Something that builds me, just another brick in the wall.
