OK. The truth is… I am stressed-out beyond belief. This is not the typical ‘finals week’ stress, but the kind of stress brought on by the tragedies occurring to the person you love. My mother has been in the hospital for the last two weeks, stemming from an issue with her heart. It’s tough to describe the situation without going into the history of the problem.

My mother, Mary Albers, contracted Rose fever when she was 19 years old. Since she survived the illness, but her heart took a beating in the process. To put it in non-technical terms: Her heart valves don’t close properly. Since I’ve been aware of the problem, my mother has undergone 3 open-heart surgeries to correct the life-threatening issues. Over the past 40 years, she has had 2 valves replaced with pure stainless steel, which is only noticeable during quiet times, when you can actually HEAR my mother’s chest ‘clicking’. It is quite awe-inspiring, to say the least.

A few of my good friends have met my mother and it is flattering to hear how much everyone enjoys her presence. She’s got this ‘take it as it comes’ attitude that is quite refreshing. Not to mention a laugh that can be heard from blocks away. One would hardly think that behind her facade, is a woman who has been in constant poor health, despite the way she comes off. Wait… not ‘despite’, but IN SPITE of her condition. She’s the kind of person I strive to be when I am her age.