What I wrote and read

for my mom's funeral service.
A few days ago, Pastor Jeff asked Angie and me what our favorite memory of our mom is. At the time, I thought of a couple of things, but after we left his office, I kept thinking about that question, and how I had answered it. The truth is; there’s no one big favorite memory. What I treasure most are the times that we spent together just being a mom and a daughter. I am going to miss talking to her on the phone; just picking up the phone and calling her and telling her something cute the kids said or did, or just calling for no reason at all. I’ll miss the times we spent shopping at Rich’s, Goody’s, Kohl’s, and anywhere else Mom thought she could get a good deal, going to yard sales, getting our nails done, and even going to the oncologist’s office. Looking back, nothing special or outstanding happened during those times, but they were memorable just the same.
Over the course of the past three weeks, Angie, Mom, and I spent more time together than we had in over 20 years, and we are so grateful to have had that time together, with mom, with each other, and with our family and friends; there is no doubt that some of our best memories will be from the many days we spent together. During those weeks, so many dear friends and family members were by Mom’s side and ours. Their love and support was invaluable, and because of them, Mom’s last days were so much happier and so much brighter, and our load was much lighter and more bearable. Words will never adequately express the gratitude that is in our hearts—and the truth is that we are all family now—even if we share no blood—we are bonded by the time and experiences we shared with Mom and with each other.
During the time that Angie and I spent with Mom, she made a point of telling us just how much her friends and family meant to her, and she could never emphasize to us enough just how much she loved our children. I hope that Angie and I will be able to express this to our kids through the years, that we can find a way to explain to Andrew, Emily, and Travis, how her face lit up at just the mere mention of their names. Mom always said that her grandchildren were what kept her going, and Angie and I believe that they were the source of her strength and the reason for her strong will to live. They were the reason she fought so hard for so long and proved every prognosis wrong every time, including the very last one she received.
Angie and I will forever be grateful for the extra time we had with our mom, and for the prayers, kindness, love, and concern shown to our mom and to us throughout her illness and last days. Thank you so much and God bless you all.