SOAPBOX: For this Phoenix 16-year-old, love is waking up to tacos on her nightstand

Students of Carrie Deahl at Alhambra High School in west Phoenix talk about hat they're grateful for in the latest season of The Show's SOAPBOX series. The theme is "Thanks."

Expressions of love can take many forms. For 16-year-old Vada Santos, it’s waking up to tacos on her nightstand.

SOAPBOX

On KJZZ's SOAPBOX, The Show turns over the the mic to listeners. Check out each season, with unique voices sharing about a single theme.

VADA SANTOS: My mom is my role model, and I learn a lot from her. I learned how to be independent, how to be strong, how to cook — and most importantly, I learned one of the biggest lessons in life: Always watch out for yourself because sometimes the people around you aren't always who they say they are.

I remember one time many years ago I was crying in my room with snot coming down my nose and my whole face was red. I heard my mom coming down the hallway. She must’ve heard me because she came into my room. She doesn’t usually come into my room, but I'm glad she did this time.

She asked why I was crying, and I was hesitant to tell her at first, because I didn't want her to know what was going on. I was going to tell her I saw a very sad video, and it made me cry. But something in my head told me to talk to her about it, so I ended up telling her.

I had told her that I didn't feel good enough for anyone, and I didn't want to be here anymore. But that was because I was being heavily bullied at the time. And I always acted like I was OK so I could be strong for everyone around me. It was just that one day where I couldn't be strong enough to hold my feelings in. And she was there to comfort me. Years later, this memory still means a lot to me.

To this day, I'm super grateful for my mom. We’re not very affectionate with words, so she shows her love with actions. Whenever she can, she will take me and my siblings and me shopping, and we buy what we need or want.

Sometimes, she will take us out to eat late at night at a food truck. It’s called Charlie’s Tacos, and it’s so good. But if we don’t wake up to go, she will bring us back food and leave it next to us on our bed for us to wake up to it. She did that to me one time. She told me the next morning that she tried waking me up to go to Charlie’s to go eat, but I didn’t wake up. And so in the morning, I woke up to four tacos with everything on top and salsa next to it.

I had such a good day because of that small gesture my mom made for me. I don’t tell her often, but I love her. And if she hears this: I love you, Mom.