Why My Mother’s the Best essay contest
Mom. A three-letter word that is universal yet means something different to everyone. For our annual “Why My Mother’s the Best Essay Contest” 118 readers, the majority of them elementary school students, sang the praises of their mothers in essay they sent us. We wish we had the space to print all their submissions, but we have listed the names of all the writers, both young and young-at-heart, who submitted odes to their mothers. We have picked seven essays and one poem based on their originality, composition and sentimentality – key when anyone describes their mom. While the grammar and spelling of these essays weren’t always the best – mastering those skills is a life-long process that we all pursue – we felt they best captured what makes moms special. The submissions were funny, touching and, coming from the ages they did, quite telling. Even if it’s just once a year, our writers noted the sacrifices their moms make on a daily basis and were grateful. Miranda Paulino recognized that her mom, Karen Martinez-Smith, went back to school to become a teacher so she could spend more time at home. Anna Frazier, an adopted orphan from Ukraine, tells the story about her first birthday party, when she turned eight, and how happy she was to be a part of a family. As much as the essayists wrote about their moms, they often turned their focus on themselves, acknowledging when they have met or failed to meet the expectations of their mothers. “Sometimes she gets mad at me but I know she still loves me,” wrote Jessica Cabrera. Anisha Torres may have best summed up the spirit of Mother’s Day when she penned: “Let me just say that everyday I thank God for giving me a mother like her and for letting me see her every single day of my life, because some people don’t have this same privilege.” We weren’t the only ones to recognize the important role that mothers play in raising future generations of Northern Manhattanites: our sponsors, Edible Arrangements, Kollares, Tara Scents, and Coliseum Cinemas, all donated prizes for the winning mothers and writers. A big thank you to everyone who participated: our sponsors, our writers, their teachers and most of all to the mothers – you have the most important job in the world. Happy Mother’s Day Pre-K- 1st Grade P.A.L. Armory Writer: Tyrell Shannon Mother: Norayka Castillo My Mom is smart and she plays games with me and I love her and she loves me. We make cake together and have fun together all the time. Sometimes she takes me to the park. She’s the best mom and friend ever. 2nd-4th Grades Writer: Ransel Rodriguez Mother: Martha Rodriguez P.S. 5 2nd Grade My mom is the best she helps me study for the test. My mom is a girl she looks like a pearl. She loves me I can see she likes to bake, she makes me cake. My name is Lee my mom is sweet I am going home it is time to go my mom buys me stuff. My brother is rough. I’m going to try my best in school because my friends call me a fool. I love my mom is the best, she lives in the west. That is bad. I am sad. I am reading, I am peeking. My mom helps me, my mom sees me. I am going the wind is blowing. My mom is cool, she is taking me to the pool. My mom is best I need to let her rest! My mom is soft I believe in god. Writer: Mauricio Bejarano Mother: Anatilde Gonzalez P.S. 48 3rd Grade Why My Mother is the Best? My mother is the best because she is my best friend! She listens to me. If I do well she is proud of me and tells me, “Keep it up sweetie!” if something is wrong she gives an advice to me. She encourages me to study and learn. So she takes me to school everyday on time. We go to many different places such as: Museums, libraries, markets, malls, parks, thrift stores, movie theatres and more. We like going to church to thank God for everything we are. I think I am a lucky boy for having the best mom forever! Writer: Jessica Cabrera Mother: Yesenia Rodriguez Incarnation School 4th Grade Why My Mom is the Best I love my mom! She is a very strong woman. We have gone through some rough things in the past, like my dad dying when I was only ten months old. She remarried and now I have a stepdad. My stepdad is very nice but I wish my real dad was still alive. My mom always wants the best for me. She will risk her life to protect me. Sometimes she gets mad at me but I know she still loves me. She will do almost anything she can to give me a good education. My mother is very hard working. She always makes sure I have things to eat. All the clothes that don’t fit me, my mom gives it to the poor. I love my mom and she is the best! I remember once I went to Sesame Street with my mom. It was so much fun! We took pictures with the Cookie Monster and Elmo. We went on the water slide. We also went in the sprinklers at the park. I love my mom! I am blessed to have the mother that I have. My mom is the BEST! 5th-8th Grades Writer: Anna Frazier Mother: Barbara Frazier Grade 5 St. George Ukrainian School My mother adopted me when I was seven years old in Ukraine. That’s why my mom is the best mother. I lived in an orphanage with 150 children. It wasn’t easy for us. It was painful. I had been in the hospital 4 times. I had few friends and no one to love me. She is a fantastic person, caring person and a loving person. My mother takes care of me. She makes me laugh. She helps me with problems and she teaches me how to be friendly with other people. She gives me fun and interesting stuff like puzzles and learning games. She helps me with homework. She takes me on camping trips. When I was 8 years old my mom threw my first birthday party ever. I was surprised. She invited my friends. She let me have a sleep over. She bought me a strawberry cake. It made me feel like part of a loving family. My mother is the best person ever. The reason why I think she is because she is the most happy, joyful and graceful person I know. Writer: Miranda Paulino Mother: Karen Martinez-Smith 6th Grade Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Why my mom is the best My mom’s name is Karen Martinez-Smith. I love my mommy so much. My mom has made many sacrifices for me to have a wonderful life. When I was born my mom was a New York City corrections officer. Unfortunately my mom worked many hours and I couldn’t see her all the time. So she went back to school to get her degree in teaching. I still can’t believe that my mom changed careers just for me. My mother is very special to me and I love her. My mom is a guidance counselor in a middle school in Washington Heights. Since my mom works as a counselor she has to deal with some “crazy” teenagers and then she has to come home and deal with her even crazier daughter. I wonder how my mother does it. I know she does a lot for me but she loves making her little girl happy. My mom does spoil me but if I don’t do what I have to do I have to say goodbye to all my privileges. She always tries to push me to my full potential. She always tells me that I am smart even when I know I can get better grades. That’s what I love about my mom she always tells me that she is proud of me. Sometimes I try to do something nice for my mom because of all the things she does for me. She always thanks me but says that I don’t have to anything for her except do good in school and clean my room. I always consider my mom, dad, brother, sister and best friend. She always tells me that she is not my friend, she is my mom. She still acts playful, silly and crazy. Sometimes I call my mom smookie or pumpkin. She always plays with me like she is one of my friends from school even though there is a really big age gap. Whenever she has problems she never includes me in them. I think it’s because most of her issues are grown up problems. Whenever I have a problem or have something to tell her she gives me her undivided attention. My mom will put everything aside just for me. I’m sure my 11 year old problems are nothing compared to my mom’s huge adult problems. Sometimes I think my mom was never a kid I know a lot of kids think that but when my mom tells me stories about her childhood I know that she understands what I’m going through. Sometimes I’m embarrassed of my mom because she can be really silly. Sometimes when her favorite song is playing on the radio she’ll put it super load and start singing, trust me my mom can’t sing. It is really funny but also embarrassing. Sometimes my mom says I embarrass her when I dance in public. I don’t think it’s embarrassing, I think that is fun. Even though my mom and I embarrass each other we still play around sometimes even if people are looking at us funny. I think my mother and I have a very unique relationship. My mom will be playful with me and act crazy but also be serious when she needs to. If I get good grades she’ll push me to get even better grades. She can be patient at times but also impatient. My mother always tells me before I go anywhere with my friends or alone that I am the only thing she has in this world and if anything were to happen to me she wouldn’t be able to live. At times I think that is embarrassing but I know that she means that and I don’t know what I would do without my smookie. My mom is a great mom, a great listener, and a great friend. She is the only person I know that will always be with me through the good times or the bad times. If I make a little mistake or a big mistake my mom will get me through it. La escritora: Bertilia Tavarez Madre: Italia Tavarez 8th Grade Harbor Heights “Porque mi mamá es la mejor?” Porque ella siempre esta para nosotros apoyándonos moral, espiritual y emocionalmente. Ella es una madre que siempre se preocupa por sus hijos. Siempre nos ha guiado por el buen camino. Siempre nos da consejos para seguir adelante, también nos da consejos para que nunca nos demos por vencidos. Ella es una madre ideal. Todos los niños desearían tener una madre como la mía. Yo me siento orgullosa de mi madre porque como ella no hay otra. Ella es una madre que ama y cuida con su alma a sus hermosos hijos. Una madre que salio adelante con sus propios meritos. Ella es una a madre a seguir. Y por eso ella es la mejor madre que puede haber en el “Planeta Tierra”. Por eso es que la quiero tanto pero no más que ella amí. Ella es una madre que es bella por dentro y por fuera. Ella para mi es la mejor amiga, madre, la mejor compañera, cocinara, profesional, ama de casa. La mejor profesora tanto de sus hijos como estudiantes. Lo ultimo pero no le menos impórtante es que ella es el mejor ser humano que ha podido existir en el Universo. Mi madre es una belleza de mujer y la voy a seguir queriendo tanto pase lo que pase. También es la flor más bella y hermosa de mi jardín. Aunque nadie le riegue ella siempre esté fresca y radiante como el primavera. Ella es la mejor cosecha de mi huerto. Siempre ella se mantiene como el primer guandul. Ella es la inspiración y el ejemplo a seguir para mi y para todas las futuras madres en el mundo entero. 9th Grade - above Writer: Anisha Torres Mother: Ana Torres High School for Media and Communications 10th Grade Why is my mother the best? Everyone asks. Well let me tell you a little about what I think about my mother. Let me just say that everyday I thank God for giving me a mother like her and for letting me see her every single day of my life, because some people don’t have this same privilege. My mother gave me life and I’m happy I came out of a woman full of love and care. She has a great sense of humor. She always makes me laugh in my good and bad times. Her jokes never get old and she would do anything to make me happy. She’s the coolest mom any kid can ever dream of. She gives me enough freedom but when it’s about my safety she is very protective. She doesn’t want anything to happen to my siblings and I. she is the one and only person that would want the best for us. My mother is the best person to trust. When I talk to her I feel like if I’m talking to a friend or my sister. With my mother I am really open. I have no trouble expressing myself with her. Must be because she understands me and she knows what I am going through. When ever I need advice she’s the first person I think of. Other than her great advices, she also gives us warm hugs and kisses like if there’s no tomorrow. Especially when we get home from school, she talks to us like if she hasn’t seen us in a million years. My mother is the type of person that wishes she could give us the world even though she knows she can’t. She tells us we deserve it. At home we all have nicknames; my mother calls me “Princesita”, my sister “Estrellita Mia” and my brother “Mi Hombresito” since he is the only guy in the house. We all get equal love. Her love for us in unconditional. In time of need everyone looks for my mother. She never hesitates to open the door to anyone who is in need of shelter or food. She believes family is family and we should love them no matter what. She keeps everything together. My mother can be going through many problems but still manages to stay on her feet. She’s a very brave and responsible mother. If I ever feel neglected she’s always there to get my self-esteem up, she compliments me like if I’m the most perfect person in the world. This doesn’t only happen when I feel down on myself it happens almost all the time. What I most love about my mom is that she accepts me for who I am. She doesn’t expect from me more than I can handle like most parents. As long as I try and do my best she’s satisfied. Whenever I trip and fall she is always there to lift me back up, she don’t look at me or treat me differently. We are still “La luz de sus ojos.” When I need her she is always there to bring me her warmth and happiness which keeps me smiling and lets me know that everything is going to be ok. I would repeat this for the rest of my life, “I love you mom and thank you for being a role model in my life.” The Manhattan Times is the bilingual newspaper of Washington Heights and Inwood.
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