My Mommy…My Everyday Hero
This is my mother.
She is my rock, my personal cheerleader, my sounding board and the one person who will ALWAYS tell it like it is( but in such a sweet way).
She is my own personal everyday hero.
As a child, I remember wanting to be her. She was( and still is) so beautiful, so poised, so..classy. Everything that I aspire to be.
But it wasn’t until I was an adult that I began to see all that she had done, all that she sacrificed, all that she overcame to be the woman she is today.
She grew up in rural Alabama with none of the advantages and privileges I did. She was the first to graduate from college in her family. She moved to Washington DC, away from family and friends, and created a life. And SHE THRIVED.
When I was a child, it seemed like she was everyone’s mom, not just mine. I am still not ashamed to admit that I resented every last single person who thought they had claim to her. But that was and IS the wonderfulness that is my mother: she never made you feel like you were second. She makes everyone feel like they matter.
She is always willing to help someone in need. Sacrificing her time and energy for those who need her.
Including me.
When my father was sick, she took care of him with compassion and humor and strength that I didn’t know she had. And she never complained. Not once.
I always say I don’t know if I would have had the strength to do what she did. And through it all, she remains full of joy and life.
For that alone, she will always be my hero.
So with that said, I am honored to be participating in this Everyday Heroes campaign in association with Annie Leibovitz and USB. If you know me at all, you know that she is my photography hero. I have always loved her work, even before I knew that I loved photography. I have always collected her photos through magazines, books and of course her book: Annie Leibovitz at work.
In 1999, Annie Leibovitz published Women, a book of portraits made in collaboration with Susan Sontag. The series of photographs was accompanied by an exhibition t at the Corocan Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Launched in London in January 2016, the UBS x Leibovitz collaboration that continues to explore the changes in the roles of women today while bringing to life one of the greatest art exhibitions of the 21st century.
Of course, there will be a tour! The tour will travel to ten host cities over twelve months. Each venue will be selected based on its unique architectural context within the host city as well as its ability to attract both local and global attention.
Exhibition cities include the following:
• London
• Tokyo
• San Francisco
• Hong Kong
• Singapore
• Mexico City
• Istanbul
• Frankfurt
• New York
• Zurich
From now until November, one winner will be selected for the opportunity to win a trip for 2 to meet Annie Leibovitz at the exhibition in New York City!! Just enter a photo of your everyday hero on Instagram using the #ShareYourHero #WOMENxUBS and #AnnieLeibovitz along with a caption highlighting what makes this person your hero. Make sure that you tag @UBS to be featured on the micro site. UBS will select one winner per month between March and October. Isn’t that cool??
Now, go share your every day hero on Instagram and then add the link in the comments! I can’t wait to see!
Oh I just love this post! It’s so great that you can post about your mother here and share her stories. She’s a beautiful and inspirational woman, and I’m so glad you have such a wonderful mother. My mother is wonderful also, and I feel like we’re super lucky-especially since there are so many people who don’t have a mother at all, or who have bad mothers. She’s great.
Love that story. It is amazing how the people in our everyday lives can be doing amazing things, but it isn’t until we are adults that we fully understand and appreciate it. I am the same way. My mom is my hero. She is truly amazing and I didn’t realize how much so until I became an adult!
My mom is also my hero. She is always there for me, whether I’ve been hurt or I was stupid and caused whatever ill reactions to myself. She tells it like it is and also helps with guidance. We all need our mother’s and I wish everyone had their mom.
Your mother sounds like na amazing and strong woman! I look up to my mother and love that she has always been there for me as a child and now as an adult. I love this campaign I have never heard of it before.
I think every mom is heroic. There’s something so brave and heroic about just taking that chance and bringing life into the world. Also, Annie Liebowitz is amazing 🙂
Mom’s Rock! I love this. She is a hero indeed and now you are one too. Love this campaign!
What a fantastic story and tribute to your mother. She sounds like an amazing woman and a blessing to you and your father.
Sounds like a real treat to be able to feature your mom in the everyday hero campaign.
Ken
What a legacy! I think it must be every mother’s dream to have their children grow up to appreciate, love, honor, and respect them the way you obviously do your mom. Oddly enough, my everyday hero is my daughter. I’m going to take a photo and enter her!
My grandmother is my hero. She raised me when she certainly didn’t have to. As a matter of fact, she quit her job to stay home and take care of me when my parents couldn’t. She is still my most solid ally. I love her to pieces!
Such a wonderfully written post. My mom is my hero too. I failed to see how amazing she was when I was a teen but I surely see it now!
What an awesome prize! I loved Annie’s recent photo project with the pictures of Amy Schumer and other women. I really want to learn to do better with portrait photography.
What a beautiful tribute to your Mum.