Tonya Miller

English 1113
Dr. Cathy Moore
11/15/2019
A Lesson in Life: Running from Mom

                It was a warm day, warmer than normal for February, and walking down the street was

wonderful. My best friend Brandi and I were going to check on a friend we have not seen in a

while to make sure he was okay. It was just a couple of miles down the road, but I knew I was

rebelling against my parents. They would never let me do this. Never let me walk down a

backroad to a boy’s house with only a friend at my side. As I giggled with Brandi and made

jokes about the other girls in class I looked up and saw the only thing that could scare me at that

moment. My parent’s truck was driving towards us and all I could do was run.

                It was my first time ever being scared of my parents. I remember seeing the anger in

their eyes through that windshield and all I could think to do was run and hide. Behind a bush in

a yard not far from the moment of pure terror I hid and prayed that they had not seen me. All it

took was the squeal of the brakes and the slam of the truck door to know that I was very wrong. I

looked up from the bush and found so much anger in my mother’s eyes and she walked towards

me. All I could do was beg for forgiveness and pray that she would forgive me and my moment

of retaliation.

                Two months would be my time served in my room. The possibilities of entertainment

was limited and as I looked around I realized that making friends with these four walls would be

in my best interest. It only took a little time until the walls around me were slowly closing in.

They were not my friend and I had to keep repeating, “You can still breathe, the walls are not

closing in” in my head. After another hour of solitude, I could not take it any longer. I slowly

stepped out of my bedroom and looked out into the hallway. It was clear for the moment, but I
Tonya Miller
English 1113
Dr. Cathy Moore
11/15/2019
could see my mother slowly rocking in her chair. This was it, I was going to walk in and make

eye contact with the woman I feared most.

                Walking into the living room felt as if I was walking into a hungry lion’s den. She

knew I was there, and I could see her eyes dart towards me once and then focus back on filing

her nails. I sat down at her feet and slowly leaned into her like a cat. It took a few moments and

she finally reached down and put her hand on my head. I released a long breathe that I hadn’t

realized I was holding in.

                “I’m sorry momma” was the only thing I could say at that moment. It had only been a

few days since the incident, but those were the first words I had said, and I prayed she would

respond. She slowly started playing with my hair and I could feel my shoulders relax. Quietly,

she began a conversation that would change the way I thought about life. I did something wrong

and I knew it was wrong from the moment I decided to do it. I just did not think I would get

caught, so the repercussions were not on my mind.

                We talked for hours that day while she played with my hair. She explained how cause

and effect worked in life and if I did not think ahead, I would get hurt later. I learned a lot that

day about respect and the only reason I was so protected is because I was so loved. It is hard to

hear that as a child and not want to fight for privacy and responsibility, but it is something that

must be earned. At that moment, I had not earned any kind of respect from my mother, but after

our talk I understood why. Running from the situation that beautiful February day might not have

been the smartest things to do, but in the end, it was a great lesson to learn about life.