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Cheryl Harris needs no prodding or convincing to care for others and put everyone else’s needs before her own. She is hard-wired to be selfless and kind, and that reputation precedes her both inside her family and out.
Cheryl is a rock to her husband Mark, her three kids Preston, Jamisen and Karissa, and to pretty much everyone else she meets. She thinks sometimes about how much easier life might be if she were selfish, but Cheryl couldn’t be like that if she tried.
“She is always putting other people first,” Mark said. “She’s very caring that way and always puts other people’s needs first. Sacrifice is just a way of life for her. It can be hard sometimes, but it’s just ingrained in who she is. She puts her kids and friends first. That’s just who she is.”
Cheryl and Mark moved into the United States in the early years of their marriage. She had to stop working when they did and then focused all her attention on raising their kids before she recently returned to the workforce. It was a sacrifice, but one she gladly made for her family.
Over the past 14 years, Cheryl has poured everything into loving, guiding and teaching Preston, Jamisen and Karissa in all that they do. And at the same time, she made one gesture after another in support of Mark as he pursued his career in the church.
When it comes to parenting, Cheryl has the amazing ability to make a sincere connection with her children. The idea sounds simple enough, but she has the patience and attentiveness to listen and be helpful no matter what they’re going through. Cheryl makes a genuine effort to be there for them.
“She tries to get down to their level and be real with them,” Mark said. “She sees where they’re at, what they’re going through and uses that as a platform to teach them. So, if the kids are going through something at school, she’ll talk with them and listen. She’ll just go down on their level and think about what she would be thinking or feeling if she was going through it.”
Cheryl has a heart for education and uses that experience to find every teachable moment she possibly can for her own kids. And now, she is back at work cooking at a daycare, where she is committed to making a difference for all the kids there.
Cheryl does it by going above and beyond the job description to prepare healthy, nourishing meals and snacks from scratch.
She also has a gift for buying and selling items and for finding unique events that have a way of jump starting family traditions. She has a reputation around town as possessing the premium Google skills required to never let any potential for family fun slide past her.
All of that just goes to show the many hats Cheryl wears for her family and the way she makes life special for Mark, Preston, Jamisen and Karissa. Mark and the kids have the utmost appreciation for all that she does and the number of occasions where Cheryl puts them first.
“Cheryl is the glue that holds this family together,” Mark said.
When asked what Cheryl means to him, Mark added, “Cheryl is my everything! I don’t always know the best ways to show my love for her. There aren’t words or deeds that adequately communicate how much I love her!
“Cheryl is an amazing mom, wife and friend! She ALWAYS puts her kids, her family and her friends ahead of herself. She is always doing things for other people.”
