America Deserves A Raise

I chose to nominate my wife Tracy.
      Tracy was the primary caretaker for her terminally ill mother, who has passed from pancreatic cancer; she was attending New England Tech, pursuing her certificate as Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant; volunteering 40 hours per week for work study; working 20 hours per week for a small income and pregnant with our son Landon, who was due in December.
I remember going home from the office around 6:00 P.M and Tracy would not be home.  She would either be in class or at the Citizens Bank center where she worked.  When she returned home from class ,late evening,  she would tend to her mother, Marlene,  by making sure she was on schedule with her three or four medications, making her feel comfortable, spending time with her and being her daughter and acting nurse.  When Marlene had doctor appointments in Boston, Tracy would make sure she was at every one of these.  If Tracy was not in class that evening, she would be working until midnight-1 A.M. for an income to be able to pay for the basic necessities on a weekly basis.  She usually had less than $20.00 remaining from her paycheck to allot for things to use as stress relievers.  Tracy graduated New England Tech with high honors and a GPA of 3.8 while tending to children and families at shelters, as part of her work study program.  She was doing all this while suffering from extreme pain during her pregnancy.  Tracy has a bicornuate uterus.
Now on a daily basis, she cares for our 2 children ages 4 and 6 months.  Our oldest son suffers from GERD in which he may need a major stomach surgery to correct and asthma. Our daughter has milk and soy protein intolerance and needs prescription formula.  Both require medication daily and as Tracy mixes and dispenses medication, as well as all the other household needs, despite the stress, she still seems to put a smile on her face.
Tracy shows perseverance, heart and dedication.  When I think I cannot handle a period of time, I remember the attributes Tracy exuded during her period of self inflicted pressures because of her drive and determination.  Tracy overcame in the most difficult time of her life.  She dominated all her obstacles. Whenever I am feeling overworked or pressured, I have to think back to what Tracy experienced.  How can one person physically, mentally and emotionally handle so much?  The strain that I may come into is insignificant compared to the dilemmas I have seen my wife overcome.  Tracy has influenced me to be strong, firm, dedicated and motivated, even more than I already was.