What can you say about someone who has meant so much to you for your entire life? “Thank you” is so insufficient.

Because of the dreaded disease that took Mom, my siblings and I have had to say a slow goodbye that lasted for years. However, this does not make the final goodbye any easier.

My favorite memory of my mother is her love of life. There was barely a day that went by where we did not share a big laugh. Mom laughed her way through pretty much everything. Even when she was recounting difficult times in her life, she did so with humor.

Mom was a single parent who raised all four of her children. She made mistakes but her love was unmistakable. That love is what I will take with me for the rest of my days and what I will share with my family.

I am, and will always be, very proud to be my mother’s son.