Who is the strongest person you know?

By strongest, I do not mean the person who can lift the most weight or pull trucks and airplanes. I mean the person whose strength you admire and consider that it exceeds common strength by far.

These past years I have come to the conclusion that I have been considerably privileged with my family. It provided me with many role models of strength, starting with my grand parents and following with my parents. There are stories that make me wonder at their courage and resilience. Among my family there is one member who has my admiration and awe: my mother.

My mother is the strongest person I know. It’s not just the fact that she overcomes any serious medical condition, much to the doctors’ surprise. It’s her spirit and her attitude. Despite living with pain, in and out of hospitals, undergoing painful procedures, with a body that has failed her, she never complains. She remains patient with remarkable endurance. I never heard her say she cannot stand it any more, I have never seen her quit or have a negative thought.

For me, this is strength. This is the kind of strength that I would like to have in my life.

How about you? Who is the strongest person you know?