The following essay was written by Clayton Smith on 8/4/03

Hero

What is a hero..? A hero can be a fictional character in a DC Comic Book that saves the world from disaster, or someone in everyday life that may mean nothing to someone else, but everything to you. A hero can be someone you admire, or look up to, or just someone you believe in. In this essay I will tell you about someone that is a hero in my eyes, and give a few reasons why I feel this way.

On the 5th day of March 1986, Donna Forstrom had a baby boy. Since that day, she hasn’t let him out of her sight, and has always tried her hardest to provide everything he has ever wanted or needed. If it were up to her, she would give him the world, because in her eyes, he is the world. He is her pride and joy.

As her baby boy slowly grows up, she continues to exceed far beyond being a parent. She lets him know she is his best friend as well. She lets him know that when everyone else in the world, that he has trusted with everything, has stabbed him in the back, that she will be right there by his side.

She’s there for him through all the struggles in life such as peer pressure, and all of the growing pains a boy may have along the way. She disciplines him the best she knows how to make sure he is given every chance to excel in life. She cares so much for this boy, it’s indescribable.

My name is Clayton, and Donna Forstrom is my mother. Without her sticking by my side like she has everyday of my life, I wouldn’t be the person I am today, and I thank her for that. She has never given up on me, and I know she never will. She loves me for me, and that’s more than most people can offer. I owe everything I am to her. If you ever met her, she would probably seem to you like an everyday mom, but she’s the biggest hero in the world in my eyes...