We got a call in the middle of the night to find out my dearest mother passed away. She was private about the battle she was fighting for the past two years. She was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2019. In and out of the hospital with countless trips to Houston. She underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy as well as radiation. After close to a year of fighting for her life, she was granted a liver transplant which in itself is a grueling procedure that she endured well. Her medicines made her sick and weak for the remainder of her life.
This January she went to Houston for her transplant anniversary to find out she tested positive for Covid. She went home and was slowly on her way to recovering. We had skyped with her on a Sunday. The first time in a few weeks, she was finally out of her bed and had seemed to be turning the corner on this illness. That Friday things took a turn for the worst and she was rushed to the ER where she passed away.
My mom had cheered on so many people in her life. Kids, from my school who never had their parents, show up for anything....she was there for them. Cheering, guiding, and unconditionally loving them. The addicts on the street struggling with their mental illness, she saw their worth and made sure they were cared for. She was everyone else's cheerleader though never asked for help with herself. When I think of her and the other females involved in her life I see nothing but strong, confident, fearless women. The kind of women feminist only dream of being. I am so blessed to have grown up surrounded by these ladies. The only reason I have them in my life is because of my mother.
I hope to grow into the same support system she was for others. She didn't have a selfish bone in her body. She gave her life and soul to those who needed her support and care. Family, friends, patients, strangers...many people's lives were impacted by her selflessness. Even if they didn't ask for it, many people's lives would be so much different if she didn't put her foot down and help guide them down the correct path. That's what unconditional love looks like. The power of love is so strong, I pray she lives through all of us who have had her in our lives. UNCONDITIONAL is the keyword. She saw many, MANY walks of life and never put herself above others. I hope my daughters grow to be as strong and selfless as she was.
October 2019 I went to Louisiana and picked her up and took her out west with the girls and me. She had just finished Chemo and was about to start a rigorous series of radiation in the next few weeks. We saw an opportunity to get her out there one last time with a fly rod and some trout. We had so many fun days on the Costilla, she was cheering me on and hanging with the crew. She was able to catch a glimpse of our lifestyle which few have had the privilege to experience. Amazingly she was able to keep up, even in high altitudes along with zero energy due to the chemo. We had our typical mom/daughter moments of rage, usually when backing the trailer up. I'm so thankful for those few weeks we got to spend with her. She got to eat at her favorite restaurant "Michaels Kitchen" in Taos. We visited with some old family friends while we stayed in Sante Fe waiting for her to fly back to Houston to start her radiation.
Words cannot describe how thankful I am for the time God lent me that summer with my mom. With her being a full-time nurse, most of my childhood was spent with my dad on the back of a motorcycle or in a boat. Regardless of how busy she was, she always managed to make it to my basketball games to rile up the other teams with her screaming and stomping. She made sure to always push me. Her acts of love were totally different than anyone on Earth.
R.I.P. Nanny - I hope you are perched on Silver Creek somewhere in heaven with a wet fly and a bent rod.