May 27th, 2023 marked ten years since my mom passed away. I sometimes cannot believe how fast and how slow that time went all at once.
My mom died when she was just 48 years old. She taught me so much in my short 24 years I had with her but her death has taught me so much more.
Since her death my life has changed in so many ways:
- I met my current boyfriend 2 years after she died and wound up moving to a different state, leaving the only place I have ever called home.
- I wrote two books on the loss of my mother and the life she lived.
- I got two beautiful dogs who make my life better in every single way.
- I started a grief blog and community which I’ve grown over the years.
- Some of my grief articles have been published in several news papers and even on the news.
- My Uncle Jimmy who my mom was very close with passed away almost exactly 6 years after she died.
- My grandma (my moms mom) who was my rock, my biggest fan and my best friend passed away in August of 2022.
- My sister got married and had two beautiful baby girls who my mom would have absolutely adored.
- My dad sold our house and moved near me.
- I’ve visited so many cool places.
- I started a grief remembrance apparel business.
- I went back to college for a bit.
- Landed my dream job as a dental sales rep.
- Made so many new lifelong friends who love and support me.
To know my mom was to love her. If you knew her you knew she was tiny but had a huge personality, she had a great smile and the best laugh, her raspy voice was unmistakable (like mine lol). She was a party animal but also worked her ass off. She was a daughter, a wife, a mother, a cousin, a sister, a care taker, but most importantly, she was a friend. She never judged anyone and accepted people for who and what they were. She was a lover but also a fighter when she had to be. She spread so much love over her 48 years on this earth and I know she impacted so many lives in such a positive way. I asked people who knew her to post a memory or words about her. This is what they said 🤍
She had so much life left to live and she has missed so much over these last ten years. When I think back to the days leading up to and the day she died, I thought my life would never go on. I thought I would never make it our of the dark hole of sadness I climbed into.. but here I am, because of who she was. Mostly it is her loss that has taught me everything about the worth of things in this life.
One of the most important things I’ve learned is how deeply you can keep loving someone even long after their death
I’ll love you forever and I’ll never let your memory be forgotten. 🤍 Gina Marie 10/30/64-05/27/13
