By Shannon Yan
There are myriad great people that others look up to. Mom and dad are my role models. My dad is a sea turtle, which means that he works and lives in a different country. My dad lives in China, working there to support our family while my mom lives with my little sister Daphne, my cousin Sharon, and me here in California. They are the shining examples of my life because they have many admirable traits. My parents are persevering, patient, and filled with integrity. Without them, I would be like autumn leaves in the wind, scattered, pointless, and simply blown away.
My parents are some of the most diligent people in the world. Because my dad is in China, my mom has to support our family. She is like the roots of our family, for without her, our family tree would wither. My cousin, Sharon is from China, coming to America for college. My mom has to drop of Sharon and pick her up on her way to work and home. Daphne and I take many classes; dance, piano, and cello are only a few. My mom also has to drive us here and there no matter how exhausted she is. Even when my mom is depleted of energy, she somehow maintains a smile that lights up the whole room. Not to mention, my mom also cooks our meals, washes laundry, and does the household chores for our family. Even once she’s done with that, mom helps Daphne, Sharon, and I in our studies. Dad earns a living in China to support us. At first I really missed my father, but now it feels it just feels like a part of my daily life. My dad still calls every day, to check on how we are, and it feels like that no matter how far apart we are, we are still a family. He also tries to come home every three months, so he does business trips in California just to visit us. When dad is home, he is often really tired, but he still lightens up our mood by making many jokes and playing with us. One reason my parents are my heroes is that they are assiduous.
Another remarkable trait my parents display is patience. I am a slow child. It takes me numerous times to learn from a blunder; I have a terrible memory. My parents have to explain math and science concepts over and over and over again before I truly understand it. Yet, my parents almost never yell at me. They might raise their voices a bit when I’m not paying attention or not trying, but they never yell at me for things I don’t know. Instead, they clarify the theory of whatever I don’t know placidly. My parents tolerate errors, small errors made by careless moves; they just always hope I learn from it. When I put ice on my mom’s laptop to cool it down, it broke the laptop. My mom didn’t yell at me for breaking the laptop; instead, she lectured me on how I could have gotten electrocuted. There were many similar reckless blunders that my sister and I made, but my parents still rarely yelled. Patience is one of my parent’s wonderful traits that make them my role model.
Finally, integrity is probably the greatest trait my parents have. My parents are ethical; in fact, if they take a class on being scandalous, they would most definitely flunk. My parents are sincere; they are amateurs at telling lies. The only times I hear my parents mislead is when we are joking around and my dad is coming home. My parents aren’t only honest; they’re compassionate. When their friends are in troubled times: being laid off, having a family member die, getting divorced, my mom and dad help them all, whether it’s donating money or just paying a simple visit with some cookies. My parents are filled with virtue, glowing with righteousness and candor. This trait makes them my good examples.
Different people have contrasting character. Many look up to those who are honorable ones. My parents have a persevering spirit, patience, and integrity. All in all, my parents are my greatest heroes and I will try to follow their footsteps.
