"I don't raise quitters," my mother said as I struggled to understand my geometry homework. She was right, after all, I would not be here if it were untrue. My mother had multiple opportunities where she could have given up. The abuse, divorce, custody battles, and financial burdens were boulders she was forced to carry while raising my brother and me. Yet, she never gave up. She not only told me to do the same, but she showed me how. My mother carried boulders all her life as if they were only pebbles. Eventually resolving each issue to give my brother and I a better life. Now I smash each of my boulders, just like my mother. I usually try to solve my problems alone, just as she did. Consequently, leading to my constant refusal to ask for help, which annoys my mother. But her independence and self-reliance are qualities I strive for. "Ma, can you help me?" I finally asked her after claiming I understood my homework. In an instant she was there, just like every moment in my life. She is always present to congratulate and encourage those who mean the most to her. If a family member graduated, my mother would be there. The same way I was there when my mother earned her Paralegal degree, after she returned to college after dropping out 30 years prior. "I have to lead by example," she said the first time she held her degree after an eight-hour long workday.