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My Mom is the Strongest Being in the Universe

How this Mother’s Day is rooted in my mother’s strength to survive 40 years of abuse; the story of her survival.

My mom is broken.

People ask my mom how she remains so happy, so perked about life.

Anybody who sees her knows it. She radiates goodness and positivity. Nothing gets to her. To the stranger looking from the outside, you’d think she’s the strongest person in the world.

She works in retail, she works with people. Last year, she sold almost a million dollars worth of clothing. In fact, she sells a million dollars worth of clothing almost every year. The company loves her. Her clients love her. When people come to the store, they ask for her by name. There is a sea of 500 associates with the ability to help someone find a shirt, but if they’ve been helped by my mom, they will wait in line to be helped by her instead.

She’s a product of abuse. You can’t see it when you see her. Constant abuse that she confused for love at the hands of her own mother. 20 years of it, in fact. Then, forced into a marriage that most people would consider a sales pitch for a product they’re on the fence about. My dad, her ex-husband, acquired about 20 more years of abuse.