Cammy

My mom is amazing. Each day on the ride to school, we listen to iHeart80s radio and she tells me some new fun fact from the articles she reads. She’s an occupational therapist and works with people who have had strokes (or other conditions) to make sure their motor skills are good. This means being able to go to the bathroom by yourself or walk with a cane. Her job means that she meets a lot of really cool people. Because we live in Oakland, she has met old members of the Black Panther Party and learns small pieces of our city’s history, which she shares with me. She also visits a lot of people’s houses and has an extremely detailed understanding of the layout of the East Bay Area. I don’t like driving on the freeway in traffic because it stresses me out, and she says taking different routes makes your brain smarter, so she takes me on these beautiful scenic routes almost everywhere we go. She points out houses to me and tells me about their sometimes weird layouts.

I just really appreciate my mom. After me and my dad had a huge falling out at the end of last year, I’ve been living with my mom full time. She’s been super accommodating. Sometimes I worry that she gets tired of me being here all the time, but I get over it. One time she told me that she likes who I am as a person, and that if I wasn’t her daughter I’d totally be her friend. I’m glad she’s my mom though. ♦