On May 25, 1999..just before 6:00PM, my life was changed forever. I always knew there would come a time when you would no longer be there...when you would depart from this world for a much, much better place. But, Mama, I never dreamed it would have been so soon. You were supposed to be there when I got finished with college...you were supposed to be there when I walked down the aisle to marry the man of my dreams...you were supposed to be there to spoil all of your beautiful grandchildren. You weren't supposed to die yet. Not at the age of 45, not when you still had so much left to give, so much joy to bring to everyone around you. I meant what I said to you, when you were in ICU, and I was standing by your bed, looking down at you, holding your hand....when I am a mother, I want to be just like you. And remember what you said? You said that was the best compliment you could ever have gotten.

It has already been a week since you've been gone. And I already miss you so much, Mama. Sometimes so much I can't breathe. I miss telling you goodnight before I go to bed, I miss telling you goodbye in the mornings, I miss you telling me to be careful just before I walk out the door. I miss hearing you dry your hair on the mornings I'm off and get to sleep late. There are a million other things about you that I miss...so many of them I haven't even realized yet.

I keep thinking there must be some reason why you were taken from us so soon. One thing I will always be grateful for is that you didn't have to suffer long. You were so sick....and you knew there was nothing the doctors could do for you..that it was in the hands of One more powerful than any here on Earth. But still..you were so strong. You never gave up...and I never gave up on you. I never will...for I carry you in my heart, where your spirit and my memories of you will live forever...