Cindy

Myself, Hannah, and my Dad all spoke at the service. I wanted to share what I wrote about my mom, because I feel she deserves to always be talked about. She was and always will be the most important woman in my life, and I hope reading my words you all get a sense of who she was & what she loved the most.

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I don’t know if I truly ever thought I would be standing here today getting ready to talk about my mom like this, even after my mom made the brave decision to stop treatment. She was the strongest person I’ve ever known, she fought so incredibly hard and always with a smile. I want to share with everyone what mom meant to me. Being one of her daughters, I have a perspective no one else was was lucky enough to have of her.

I do want to say I am honored to see all of your faces here to remember my mom. I can’t say I am surprised though. She was the kindest soul I’ve ever known. She would truly give you the clothes off her back if you mentioned it was a little breezy, and she would ask you 10 times too. She would cook so much food just so you had to take leftovers. If I wanted to invite one friend over she would ask if I wanted to invite 5 more. She loved a house full of people laughing and making memories.

Mom made friends everywhere she went. It was a running joke in our family for years that she couldn’t go anywhere without seeing a friend or making a new one. Whenever she would see someone she would say in her cute voice “that’s my friend”. I loved that about her. She even made friends with every nurse at GBMC throughout the years of treatments. That’s who she was though, a loveable, cheerful and outgoing women who just wanted everyone to feel special.

Hannah and I always felt special with mom, she made sure we knew it too. She would call multiple times a week just to say “hi tootsie roll, just wanted to say hi” ... and whenever we would answer she had the happiest tone in her voice. I would spend multiple hours a week talking to her about things only mothers care about. Whenever I heard her voice, everything was ok. Everything was right. Everything just made sense.

Growing up, one thing I always remembered was her always wanting to be on the school field trips. She would call the school every day for a week until they let her come with us, I truly can’t remember a trip that she missed. She was a mother who was always there for her family and she would do whatever was needed to make us happy. It’s a quality of hers I hope to live up to.

One of my favorite memories is staying home from school to go shopping with mom. This happened often. We would circle one floor of the parking garage at Towson Mall until a parking spot would open up. Sometimes it would take 30 minutes, and we would be belly laughing the entire time. We were just happy spending time together, it never mattered what we were doing and that is something our family continued to do as we grew up. Mom always just wanted us to be together and make memories.

Our family has always been close as most of you here today know. Some may say too close, but going through such a tragic loss.. I am so grateful we spent so much time together. I am so thankful I listened to my mom. I may not have half the memories I do with her if it weren’t for her setting such a wonderful example of what a family should be, and above all what a mother should be.

I am a mom now, and I’ve learned so much along this journey thanks to her. She was there throughout everything to listen to all of my complaints and offer guidance.

Any doubts I ever had about parenting she would softly say “you’re a great mom chels” ... it meant the world to me to know she was proud of me. I never would have made it this far without her words of wisdom. She taught me everything and more about being a good mother. She taught me how to love, be gentle, kind, and to always be there for my children as she was for hers.

I loved watching her be a grandmother to Aubrey. Mom was calming to her ... and Aubrey would just stare at her as if she already knew everything would be alright. The smile Aubrey would give mom was truly special.

Mom... The way you left was so unfair, your bright, beautiful and loving self deserved so much more. I like to believe you still left the way you intended.. with your family beside you.

I will miss you every day until you are welcoming me to your new beach house. I will love you forever, just like you told me you will love me forever. Your grandchildren will know everything about you. They will know how brave you were to stop treatment and live the rest of your life on your terms as best as you could. They will know you were a warrior until your last breath.

The longing of wanting to be with you and talk to you will be unbearable some days, but I will remind myself you are no longer in pain. I have to hold on to knowing you are in a better place now ..... somewhere you can be free with your wings. I pray that you are running around with Barney and Chloe at the park.. and enjoying steamed crabs while drinking a cold Bud Ice.

One thing I do know.. is that you are the friendliest angel wherever you are mama.

See you at the beach.