Being the daughter of a single mother has changed my view of the world. Watching her overcome the hardships of a divorce, repair and sell our home and then build our new house with her own two hands opened my eyes. Seeing how she stayed strong and never buckled under all the pressure while keeping me happy and healthy was a game-changer. Daddy-daughter days were always the hardest for me. I remember one day when Chick-fil-A was doing some sort of daddy-daughter dinner event for Father's Day. We were in our car and drove by a sign advertising it. She turned to me and asked, "Do you want to go to that and get Chick-fil-A for dinner tonight?". I looked at her all confused and said, "Can we? Even if I don't have a Daddy?" At that point she stopped the car, turned to me and asked, "What do Daddys do?" I replied, "I don't know. Protect the family?" she said, "Would you say I protect this family?" I answered, "Yeah." After that we turned around and got some dinner at Chick-fil-A. That day, I decided I wanted to be her when I grew up. Sure, I wanted to be a paleontologist. Digging up dinosaur fossils and discovering new species, but that was just a job, a title. I wanted to be like her. Like someone with a mind and a will so strong, practically nothing could get between you and your dreams. One thing I have learned from my mom is budgeting. You always buy the things you need and only sometimes buy the things you want. Whenever I would ask to do something or buy something that was out of our budget she would say, "There is a day for that, but today is not that day.". Then we would go back to whatever we were doing. Budgeting has become something I do subconsciously rather than a habit. I'll see something I want and think 'Oh wow that looks cool! But, it's a little pricey. I'll wait for it to go on sale or find a cheaper one.'. That has just become my way of thinking thanks to my mom. Another thing I learned from my mom is communication. There was never a day she would keep me in the dark unless it was for my safety. I would ask questions like, "Why do we have to sell our house?" and she would say, "Well that's because now that it is just me and you, I don't have enough money to continue to pay for the house." She would always answer with the truth and only the truth. That taught me that the truth was always better than the false. Even if it is difficult to explain, or hard to say, say it. Communication builds trust. All in all, the way my mom was able to stay strong through her divorce and the way she adapted after that has shaped me to be the person I am today. She has been the biggest role model in my life and will continue to be my hero.