Introduction
Death. It is always unexpected, even when it is expected. This is why September 7, 2011 was such a shock to me.
It was normal for Mom to be sick. It was normal for her to be expected to die of diabetes, but end up beating the odds. That was my mother – a fighter. Even after the disease took its toll on her body, and a stroke rendered her into a nursing home, I never truly thought she would leave me.
She had survived an amputation, a stroke, several blood infections, and countless dangerous surgeries, but simple, everyday pneumonia was what did her in? I remember thinking that somehow, someone got it wrong. Mom dead? It couldn’t be true. Not my stubborn, strong mother, who never gave up or backed down. She was only sixty-five years old, and I just wanted to keep her for a little while longer.
Unfortunately, God had a different plan. It was time for her suffering to end. For me, it was the beginning of a life without the great woman who taught me how to become a great woman myself. A piece of my heart is missing, and a day never passes that I don’t wish I could see her one more time.
My mother was not famous. She never accomplished anything that would land her history books or cause people around the world to know her name. She wasn’t a career woman, nor did she lead any special clubs or organizations. What my mother excelled at was being a great Mom.
This book is written as tribute to my extraordinary mother and as a way to put her wisdom into words so that others can learn from her example.
These are the lessons my mother taught me.
It was normal for Mom to be sick. It was normal for her to be expected to die of diabetes, but end up beating the odds. That was my mother – a fighter. Even after the disease took its toll on her body, and a stroke rendered her into a nursing home, I never truly thought she would leave me.
She had survived an amputation, a stroke, several blood infections, and countless dangerous surgeries, but simple, everyday pneumonia was what did her in? I remember thinking that somehow, someone got it wrong. Mom dead? It couldn’t be true. Not my stubborn, strong mother, who never gave up or backed down. She was only sixty-five years old, and I just wanted to keep her for a little while longer.
Unfortunately, God had a different plan. It was time for her suffering to end. For me, it was the beginning of a life without the great woman who taught me how to become a great woman myself. A piece of my heart is missing, and a day never passes that I don’t wish I could see her one more time.
My mother was not famous. She never accomplished anything that would land her history books or cause people around the world to know her name. She wasn’t a career woman, nor did she lead any special clubs or organizations. What my mother excelled at was being a great Mom.
This book is written as tribute to my extraordinary mother and as a way to put her wisdom into words so that others can learn from her example.
These are the lessons my mother taught me.
