Hilal Abusaad

Ms. Almasri

11th Ap Lang

03/07/24

A mothers superpower

Listening to your mom is one of those things everyone tells you, right? It's like a universal truth
handed down through generations. But to be honest, being a teenager, advice like that tends to go
in one ear and out the other. I mean, why would someone who was a teenager four decades ago
know what's best for us now?

Growing up, I loved basketball. I loved everything about it—the game, the teammates, and the
charisma it gave me. But, as much as sports consumed my life, my grades were always a priority.
Well, they had to be, thanks to my mom. Not acing a class? That was an incoming “Bahdala” at
home.

Then 7th grade rolled around, and along came COVID. My basketball came to a halt. While
most of my friends were out there, hanging out without me. I was stuck at home, all to keep my
dad safe, who was dealing with kidney failure. While the world started to move on in 2021, I was
stuck in this bubble of frustration, feeling like I was missing out on everything. All while my
mom would insist on this seclusion, her words constantly echoing in the background, and I never
truly understood why.

Fast forward to 9th grade, it felt like a chance to hit the reset button—back to school, back to
sports. But everything had changed. My friends had moved on, and I was playing catch-up. I
threw myself into basketball, wanting to make up for lost time, aiming for that "popular" status.
My mom, though, wasn't having any of it. She kept saying, "Friends and basketball won't build
your future." I thought she was crazy. Basketball was my life. It allowed me to fit in and helped
me reach my peak. I was popular, I was cool, I had everything I ever wanted, and finally rebuilt
everything that I lost.

But, as my focus on sports grew, my grades started to slip. I convinced myself that an A- was as
good as an A+. My mom? She disagreed. "It needs to be a 97," she'd say. Then 10th grade came,
and with it, a reality check. My mom made it clear: no more wasting time. I had to quit. School
was it. I was furious, feeling like I'd lost everything—my popularity, my friends, my identity,
going back to square 1.

Trying to be both the cool athlete that everyone liked and the ace student was a bit like playing a
two-faced role that didn't quite fit, especially when, deep down, I was more at home being a
computer geek who loved Fortnite. Her advice, guided by an instinct that knew me better than I
knew myself, led me to find genuine passions over playing a part that never truly suited me.
Without her even realizing it, she knew this decision would ultimately lead me to truly feel
happy with myself.
Hilal Abusaad

Ms. Almasri

11th Ap Lang

03/07/24

In 10th grade, I decided to take every AP possible, and I did. And something just clicked. My
grades skyrocketed like crazy, and I loved the work, I became obsessed with perfecting a 3-digit
number starting with a four. All of this led me to realize, was she actually right? Now, 2 months
away from being a senior, I sit down and reflect on the butterfly effect. What if she never made
me quit? What if she never cared about my grades? What if she didn’t force the principal to place
me on the AP track when I didn’t want to? What if I got my dad COVID, while he was ill? What
if I never listened to her?

My high school career has led me to a crucial realization— your mom has superpowers, and they
are scarily good. Her being the strict mom she is, somehow allowed me to discover my real self
and instilled a sense of pride in being exactly who I am. I am so proud of the nerd I have
become.

I am not an adult, I am not a teacher, I am not a sheikh, I am not a therapist. I’m a kid like you,
and just trust me on this one, listen to her. This is just one time I listened to her, imagine the
amount of life-changing outcomes that could happen if you did. Listen to your mom.
This I believe