It was late fall of 2005. I remember the feeling in the pit of my stomach when we were told my mother had Stage IV lung cancer. We thought she had a mild stroke. At age 73, she was the picture of health. An avid tennis player, she looked wonderful. I could not believe what I was hearing. Six months later she was gone. We did everything we could to save her, but medical science just was not there yet for someone with this late stage disease.
What can I say about my mother? She was the heart and soul of our family. She loved to host family gatherings and cook, and on Sundays and holidays, there was an abundance of delicious food cooked with love. That was her way of showing her love for her husband, four children and spouses and 7 grandchildren. Always smiling, never sad, always welcoming and helpful, she gave way more than she took.
Nothing was right after she died, and my father who loved her with all his heart, never got over it. Sadly, he passed away in November of 2019.
We think of of her often, and wish she could have seen her grandchildren grow up to be young adults and have kids of their own.