My Daughter has Taught Me to be a Better Person

From the moment she was born I knew she was different, arriving much earlier than expected, and frightening me to death with her little surprise. Then mere seconds later, after the doctor removed the umbilical cord from around her little pink neck, I heard her soft, sweet cry. In that instant, I knew she would be mama’s little fighter. Now here we are, 10 years later, and she still manages to amaze me every day. My daughter, Alexis, has tremendously changed my life and made me a better person by teaching me patience, showing me strength, and motivating me to improve myself.
Never in my existence have I met a more patient person than Alexis. She endures so much suffering from her daily seizures, and yet always manages to keep a loving smile on her small, kind face. Even when the seizures keep her stuck in the hospital for six days straight, driving her crazy with the incessant beeping of machines, bland tasting food, boring television shows, and perpetual smell of bleach burning her nostrils, she keeps calm and maintains her cheery disposition. She never lets the stress of her situation get her down. The more time I spend with my daughter, the more her patience seems to rub off on me. When Alexis was younger, I used to get so mad at the ignorant stares from people when she innocently made her high pitched squeals of excitement while out in public. Nowadays, I just tell the misinformed people she is special, and answer any questions that come my way without getting the least bit angry. Without having Alexis in my life, I am not sure I would be able to walk away so easily. In order to be so patient, I must have also gotten her inner strength.
Being physically strong is nice, but being strong emotionally is much harder. I used to t...

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...study in the ACE program at Rio Salado College. If I stay on track and keep focused, I will one day reach my goal of becoming a college graduate. From there I hope to find a career I love and make enough money to give my daughter even greater opportunities than she is provided now. Together I believe we can move mountains.
Children have always made a difference in their parents’ lives, but Alexis has done more than just make a difference for me. She has helped me see the beauty in even the ugliest situations, and shown me how to fight for what I truly want. She has also taught me how to be more tolerant of others, shown me how to be emotionally strong, and influenced me to become a better version of myself. Most of all, she has taught me to never give up. Who would have thought a tiny little baby born 10 years ago could have such a profound effect on my life?