Thank You, Mom

This has been a very difficult time for our family.  A couple of weeks ago, my sister Ana, my brother and I lost our mother.  She had been ill for a number of years, and had been in hospice care for the last six months, so it was not unexpected.  But despite the fact that we had known for quite some time what road she was on and where it would lead, there is no escaping the grief of losing a loved one.

On this Thanksgiving Day, I want to take a moment to thank our Mom for everything she did for us throughout our lives.  She took good care of her babies all of her life, and was always there with a helping hand whenever we needed anything at all.  Our mom was incredibly energetic and tireless, and would immediately spring into action whenever there was a need.

Our Mom was fiercely loyal and devoted to her family.  No threats would be tolerated, and our enemies (real or imagined) were her enemies, too.  She was fiesty and often unpredictable, but she sprang to our defense faster than a mother bear defending her cubs.

She loved and knew great love in her lifetime.  She was lucky enough to find a gentle and loving husband, our Dad, who remained in love with her all the days of his life.  We lost him much too soon, and with great love comes great loss.  She grieved him for 22 years.

She loved her grandchildren greatly.  She was their tireless playmate, playing games with them for as long as they wanted.  She worked on craft projects with them over summer vacations, and she was always available for babysitting.

She was a fantastic cook who loved to make all of their favorite dishes.  They remember her arroz con pollo, croquetas, tortilla española, hashies (hash browns), and grits very fondly.  And her Thanksgiving Turkey couldn't be beat!

Our Mom was incredibly clever and talented.  If anything broke, she could fix it.  If anything needed to be rigged up, she could figure out how to do it.  If there was something needing figuring out, she was the one who could do it.

She was an incredible seamstress and made the majority of our clothes for many years.  She sewed many a Halloween costume and could always be counted on to hem a skirt or fix a wardrobe malfunction in a jif! She could knit, crochet, and embroider, and made many treasured mementos for us to hold onto throughout the years.  She was the ultimate "can-do" Mom, and her organizational skills were legendary.

Mom & Dad

She literally wanted nothing for herself, which made it extremely frustrating to buy Christmas or Birthday gifts for her.  She just wasn't a very materialistic person, although she did like looking nice in the rare new outfit, a new pair of cute shoes or a smart-looking hat gifted to her by her daughter.

She was loved and knew love in her lifetime.  She endured hard times, saw the fruit of her hard work, and was blessed with a beautiful, loving family and fond memories.  In the end, what more can we ask for?  She will be deeply missed.

Thanks for everything, Mom.