“My mother is a hero; not in the sense of capes or flashy outfits, but in the sense of inspiration and encouragement. My mother has been dealt a crazy hand; she and three of her six children have NF1. She’s been through a lot and is an encouragement to anyone who meets her. She doesn’t have laser vision, nor can she stretch to incredible lengths, but she does have super powers. She has the ability to lift thousands of spirits with a single smile. Anyone who meets her, no matter what they are going through, will feel better as soon as they talk with her. She has the power of kindness. You could be a complete stranger but you talk to my mom and she will be there for you. She has super speed as she runs to the rescue of any of her kids. To them, she is their world.
“She also has amazing courage. My mother has seen us through so much. At first glance, you see my mother as a woman who is always very strong and happy. But if you look closer, you see a woman with hurt and longing in her eyes. She sees her children who are crying in pain, who get horrible news, who are hurting and emotionally tired. Yet, through all of it, she wears a smile. Not for herself but for her children so that, one day, they can look back and see how strong she was, how comforted they were by her smile.
“My mother has days when she breaks down and just can’t take it anymore. She hurts all the time, physically and emotionally. But, unlike other heroes, my mother is strong when she is weak, she smiles when she is sad, she holds back tears when all she wants to do is cry.
“My mother may not sound like a hero to you, but she saves my world every day.”
Bailey Archer, Kristianne’s daughter
