Her spirit left this world on November 23, 1998. She was a wonderful woman who was artistic, full of life, determined, and a sufferer of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). She was diagnosed a few months after my brother came into this world, and five years before I was born.
I remember bits and pieces of her before the disease totally disabled her and before she lost her voice. However, despite these set backs, we were very close. I miss her very much.
My mom was a strong woman. She held on ten years longer than the doctors said she would. She smiled as often as she could, loved as hard as she could, and gave what she could. She never allowed bitterness to make a home in her spirit. I hope to have the same attitude in my own life.
Even with the MS, she taught me that family was important. Before she lost her ability to speak, she'd tell me funny stories about the family. It was because of her that I gained an interest in where I came from. I thank her for cultivating the love of genealogy within me.
I miss my mother and wish that she was still here. However, there is also happiness that her suffering is over.
