Shortly before we went home for the holidays my mom got that horrible letter. A policeman knocked on the door and served her. The breath left her. I will never forget her look. It was as if life stopped and she was fearful what would follow. We were all in the grip of sorrow. Her husband and our father had left and she was devastated. There was tons of snow outside. It was so cold ice formed on the inside of the windows. But Mom and I would walk in the snow, over the local bridge across the river. We often walked, but this was the walk of pain, of me being there for her as she had been there for us.
We went home to an empty house. The holidays went on as usual. But my mother's life had changed. My life had changed. My Dad had always encouraged me. Now he was gone. Mom always encouraged me, and she was gripped with grieving. The last blow of terrible times I felt, was yet to come, my grades.
The day came. I stared at the envelope. I was hesitant to open it. My future was inside. My mothers sacrifice to make it all possible was in question. Did I really pull it off, was all in vain? It was a turning point, for the good or for another path. I slowly tore open the end and slid the paper page out and unfolded it.
I had, I had really WON, I had passed. I was launched on a great adventure. I clutched the page in my fist and looked at my mother with great joy, and she smiled that smile of 'it was worth it all.' She had helped me at great cost, she had helped me over one of the biggest hurdles I would experience. She would help me one more semester but no more, she needed to rebuild her own life. I wanted to make it the best semester of my life, as a tribute to her in the midst of her grief.
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