When asked who has had the most extraordinary influence on my life, the most obvious answer would be my mother. It took me all of eighteen years to realize that it is her influence that has moulded me to become what I am today. Being a housewife, she has never failed to look after us well. She is the kind of mother who always insists on spending quality family time together, the backbone of the family and the kind of person who helps other children in the neighborhood with their difficulties in their academics. She has been my teacher, my friend and a role model for the past eighteen years of my life.
             In considering my mother's position and influence as a role model, I am reminded of a quote from Charlotte Bronte's Villette: "In addition she gave me the originality of her character to study: the steadiness of her virtues...the power of her passions to admire, the truth of her feelings to trust. All these things she had, and for these things I clung to her." The virtues that stand out most poignantly in my mother's character are her dedication and self-sacrifice. The strength of her principles is evident in the way in which she raised my little sister who needs special attention; she has had difficulties in following the regular curriculum in school as well as difficulties in speech. In spite of this, my mother has never failed to believe that my sister will soon recover from these setbacks. She dedicated most of her time educating my sister and going to speech therapy sessions and various other therapies alike in hope that it will do some good for her. She never once complained about the sacrifices, which she had to make in order to help my sister. I admire her for being able to look after the well being of the whole family in spite of this and never failing to be there for me whenever I needed her.
             I grew up not feeling neglected but admiring my mother more and more for what she has done for my sister, which I believe no one cou...