Honorable mention Mother's Day essays

High School

By Kryndon Proffitt

Freshman at Jackson

Heights High School

(Mother: Tonya Proffitt)

I was born back on April 27, 2005. My mother already had my sister for about five years before I was born. So you can say she already knew how to take care of a handful. Although I was a little bit of a bigger handful, as so I’m told.

As soon as I was born, I was brought into a world full of many different things and with many different questions. However, there was someone there who was able to answer my questions when I was at least able to ask questions. Even now, sometimes I’m not sure how to ask questions, but she might still even know what answer I’m searching for.

My mother for the most part has been strict on me, and it’s for the better. Without her being more of the demanding and commanding role of my life, I probably wouldn’t do much with it. She’s made sure I keep my room clean, I at least help out around the house when she needs it, I don’t pester my brother too much and stay as an overall humble and kind person.

My mother has allowed me to be very open about my feelings and my mind. This allows me to understand more things like the strengths and weaknesses of myself, my ideologies and ideas and my overall character.

When sticking up for myself, I have always looked up to my mother. She has given me more strength and courage than anyone. She’s given me more confidence to do new things, experiment and explore. My tastes and senses have expanded thanks to her. I’ve found new dishes and foods I love to eat now.

As a person I make a lot of mistakes, and by a lot, I mean a lot. She helps me understand that my mistakes will all be purposeful at some point in my life and I have to build off of them and to not redo them again.

I don’t have the most common sense. At times we laugh at the expense of how idiotic some of my decisions and ideas could be. However, everything I learn I know will have a purpose, and I know that thanks to my mother.

So even in the parts of my life my mother wasn’t there for me, she was still a part of me. She worked late to keep food in our mouths and a roof over our heads. Through even the times I messed up and were rough, she still comforted me that I’ll always be okay. To my dear mom who’s been there for me and done so much for me.

By Tuley Gilliland

Freshman at

Holton High School

(Mother: Taige Gilliland)

My mom is my greatest role model and the person I strive to be more like, each and every day.

When I think about my mom, the first word that comes to mind is selfless. From family, to friends and the community, she always finds the time to put others before herself and help in any way possible.

No matter how busy she is, my mom is good about not letting the simple things slip by. She makes a point to show you that she cares, not just that day, but again later on, with a text, a phone call, a card or something small that lets you know she’s still thinking of you.

My mom is kind to everyone. Whatever you need, day or night, my Mom will put her personal needs aside to help someone else.

The love, patience and dedication my mom shows to my family and me is beyond what words can describe. My mom has a hug for you on your worst day when you need a friend, a high five on your best day when you want to celebrate, the biggest smile in your proudest moments and love on every day in between.

My mom is a good listener. If something is important to me, although it might not be on my mom’s priority list, she makes it important.

Working hard is something my mom never fails to do. She sets an example and continually helps me to be the best version of myself. She always encourages me to work hard, do my best in school, sports, jobs and life in general. She reminds me to set goals, put in the work it takes to achieve them and never give up on something I believe in.

Five hundred words is not near enough to describe how much my mom means to me. Selfless, kind, loving, patient and hard working are just a few of the traits that come to mind when I think about my mom.

When you hear the word hero, most people think of movies and stories, but I think of my mom. The example she sets for me and the impact she makes on my life each day is what truly makes her my hero.

By Bailee Stotts

Senior at

Holton High School

(Mother: Tommi Stotts)

What if there is someone out there that cares for others’ happiness and loves them for being their true selves? Imagine a great person that’s trustworthy, honest and has a good heart. Somebody that is available to go to for advice and gives encouragement to do the impossible.

Everyone has a different opinion on what a hero is. For me, a hero is someone who is willing to put 100 percent effort into protecting me and stop at nothing to provide me with security and safety. My hero is beautiful. My hero is my mom.

Being able to work round the clock without any complaints to keep my brothers and me happy is very important to me. She curbs her desires to fulfill ours and does everything for her family and children. Even if she is an always working mom, she still manages the job, house and many more to keep us happy without anyone having to say so.

Many people around here know her as just Tommi, but in my eyes, she is known as my best friend. I love my mom for many reasons and I am willing to share the rest.

When it comes to hobbies, sports, singing or projects I like and enjoy doing, my mom is always there to support me in all that I do. I can always count on her to be there watching and cheering for me while I play basketball, drawing a piece for an art show or even just sitting in my room singing the many songs that inspire me.

However, many times before, she has decided that it would be a good idea to have a concert in our kitchen. We would scream at the top of our lungs and dance until we had no energy left. Even with all the good and bad times, not a second goes by that she doesn’t make sure I know how proud she is of me. Without her, I don’t know where I would be today. She will constantly be the glue that holds our family together.

A mother’s love is like nothing you have ever felt before. It’s beautiful. Yes, we might not get along some of the time, and we might bicker, but I wouldn’t change the relationship that I have with my mom for the world. Telling me that I am worth it, and that being myself is always the right decision, she reminds me the importance of self-worth.

I love my mom more than any of these words can describe, and I would be lost if I wasn’t blessed with having her by my side. My mother, my hero.

Middle School

By Aiyana Throssell

Seventh-grader at

Royal Valley Middle School

(Mother: Kristina Throssell)

A mom can be tons of different things. Most moms share a lot of the same traits. The common ones are being protectors, hard workers and caretakers. My mom happens to share some of those traits, but she also has the traits of being supportive of me, listening to what I have to say and simply encouraging me to have fun.

Everything I’ve wanted to do my mom has tried to help me achieve in some way, especially in sports. When I wanted to do all kinds of different sports, each game she was there to watch me and support me. For each practice, game and track meet, she got me there and made sure she was there to watch my improvement.

Over the summer of 2020, our school continued with a summer weights program, and every morning she made sure we got up early enough for her to get me there and for her to get to work on time.

Car rides with my mom are like times when we just talk about anything and everything. Whether it’s friend troubles, what we did at school or work or drama that happened throughout the day. Sometimes we don’t even talk about things but rather we sing things that come on the radio. I can talk about so many things with my mom because I find she is trustworthy and (when she wants to be) a good listener.

My mom encourages me to have fun with everything: from things as small as a hobby to something as big as life. She encouraged me to find something fun to do over quarantine and to get into new hobbies. We would paint together and do other crafts just for the fun of it. My mom tries to prove all the time that I can be independent and mature and still have fun.

I’m sure you have heard of Mama Bear coming out and sometimes us kids prefer our moms don’t get so protective. More often than not, my mom knows when Mama Bear needs to come out and when she doesn’t.

My mom does not baby me, which is very important to me. I like for adults to know that I am mature enough to understand some things but also know my limit of “maturity.”

Of course, there’s the occasional lecture of “you’re old enough to do this on your own” that comes from most parents, but she also knows when I don’t understand how to do something. Instead she will help me after I’ve tried it myself.

In conclusion, I’m thankful for my mom. She has helped me in becoming a good version of me. I couldn’t ask for a better mom. These are all the reasons why she is my hero.

By Nalanie Kesler

Seventh-grader at

Royal Valley Middle School

(Mother: Nicole Kesler)

My mother, my hero, she is my all time best friend. She means so much to me that it is hard to express in words alone. She is literally my hero for many reasons. She not only provides for my siblings and me, but she provides for my grandma, my niece and nephew and anyone else she comes in contact with. She always puts us before herself, which sometimes isn’t the best. Her favorite thing, other than me of course, is Wonder Woman.

Thirteen years ago, when my parents were blessed with the news they were having another baby, they didn’t know there would be more to the story. During her pregnancy, my mom found out she had the pre-signs of cervical cancer, but I had to make things even harder by being a breech baby, which means I came out feet first. If the cancer wasn’t taken care of right away after giving birth, we could both be in danger.

In addition, my mom also has a rare type of breast cancer after having my older sister, Bri. She fought and beat it, too. She chose my name, Nalanie, because in Hawaiian it means sent from heaven, and if I weren’t born then, she wouldn’t have known about the cancer. Because of everything she has gone through and how similar they look, she calls herself Wonder Woman, and in my eyes, she is.

She pretty much has Wonder Woman in every inch of her room. She looks like her too, only my mom has red hair. I also look like my mom. Wherever we go, someone says something like, “Wow! She looks just like you” or “She really is a mini you!” and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I am so lucky to have her. She means everything to me. She is not just my mom, or my best friend. She is my hero and like she said, I am hers too.

Elementary School

By Cooper Slocum

Third-grader at Royal

Valley Elementary School

(Mother: Ruth Slocum)

My mom is a hero because she is always working hard to provide for us. For example, every day when my mom comes to pick me and my brother Eli up from school she takes us home, gets back to work on her computer and earns money to buy food, pay the electricity bills and give us toys to play with.

My mom is a hero because she finds out what we like. For example, I like books and she figured that out by herself, So now I have about 90 books that all came from my mom.

My mom is the greatest hero I have ever imagined. Some people may think that their hero is Superman or Batman but mine is my mom. Does Batman clean your room every once in a while? No. Does Superman do the dishes? No. Who do you think takes care of our dogs, cats, lizards, squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs? Mom does.

Mom always takes out the trash and buys us toys to play with, and gives us food to eat and always goes to the store to buy candy for us to dig into. My mom is a hero because she loves me no matter what. Even if I throw a bottle of barbecue sauce on the ceiling like my uncle did when he was a kid or dump a bucket of water on her head.

My mom always tries to make me laugh whenever I feel down or upset, like the time someone stole my king-sized candy bar or the time my brother crashed my artwork on purpose, which made me really mad. My mom is my hero because she always buys me video games and she even bought a PS4, right at this moment. I have about 24 games on the PS4 and that is a lot to me.

I don’t think there’s anything that I love more than my mom, and I mean it. So that means I love my mom more than video games, biking trails, sports, a house and everything else.

My mom has brown and light brown hair and brown eyes with good, big teeth. She works at home for the railroad center in the city, and her job is to make sure everything is on schedule. For example, if someone pays a little too little then my mom would fix that problem and make sure they pay the right amount of money so the railroad company can keep running smoothly as it always will be.

My mom is my hero because she always does the dishes even when we aren’t looking. She also cleans the house whenever guests come over by herself. I hope I have proven to you that my mom is my hero, which she is.

By Sabrina Streeter

Fifth-grader at Jackson

Heights Elementary School

My mother is my best friend. She is always there for me. I can always count on her, when I am sick, sad, embarrassed or even have a crush. She has a huge heart because she is always caring for everybody else.

She has six kids she has, or is continuing to, raise. Their names are Mariah, Zane, Preston, Jaimon, and Jay and (myself) Sabrina. She also makes sure that my siblings and I are as happy as can be even if that means she takes the back seat. Whenever I would have a friend over, she is always so kind! Just as she is kind, she is strong.

My mother has strength like no other. She has shown this in many ways. When an obstacle is headed her way, she handles it with grace, patience and dignity. I can’t imagine how she does it all. As I watch in observance, I am taught to be just as amazing as her! I have learned many great qualities from my mom. I just want to let my mom know that I love you always and forever!

By Keziyah Smith

Age 9, Topeka

(Mother: Cherise Smith)

I love my mom with all my might. She takes care of me all day and night. She loves me even when I'm missing a screw, even if she does want to sell me to the zoo. I love my mom from my head to my toes, even when she makes me change my clothes.

She loves me even when I’m “sick,” even though I’m not that slick. She lets me stay up late ‘till midnight’s cry, even if I don’t fall asleep at nine.

I love my mom with all my heart, she even gives me pop tarts. I love my mom with all I am. She taught me to make a sandwich with cheese and ham. She loves me even when we’re late, but I think that that’s just fate.

My mom is my hero.

By Ruby Robinson

Third-grader at Jackson

Heights Elementary School

Did you know that it is almost Mother’s Day? I hope you learn why my mother is my hero!

My mom does fun things with me like when we go check cows or go on trail rides together. She swims with me at the lake. She even goes on the tube with me. She never lets me fall off in the water!

My mom takes care of me. She cooks for me all the time. Two of my favorite foods she makes are spaghetti and tacos. She keeps me out of trouble when I want to do something that she says no to.

She encourages me and gives me confidence when I am doing bad and tells me to keep going. She also teaches me things like how to saddle a horse.

She means so much to me. I don’t know what I would do without her.

By Jordyn Peek

Third-grader at Jackson

Heights Elementary School

My mom is the most wonderful mom in the world. She does fun things with me! We go to the salon and get our nails done.

My mom taught me how to ride my bike. She also taught me to tie my shoes. When I go to bed at night, she alwas gives me a kiss and a hug.

The best part about my mom is that she always loves no matter what! I love my mom so so much because she does all of these things with me.

By Kane Cochren

Third-grader at Jackson

Heights Elementary School

My mom means the world to me. My mom plays with me by catching my pitches and rebounding my basketball shots. She also supports me when I am feeling down and always finds something for us all to do.

I really like it when Mom is either snuggling with me, hugging me or when we are watching TV together.