My Guardian Angel

Happy; Innocent; Whole. Those are the first three things that come to my mind when I look at this picture of my Mom and I taken when I was about 4 years old. Not only was it a happy time because we were at the beach and it was summer time, but because the picture captures my Mom and I together. At this time, I was completely oblivious to what the future held and didn't have a worry in the world. I had no idea that 8 years later, my Mom would be taken from my family. To most people, it sounds like I'm throwing a "pity-party" for myself. But I'm actually doing the opposite. You can never be too sure of your life or anticipate what tomorrow will bring. There is a good chance that one day you're going to wake up and realize that life isn't always as good as your dreams. But that's life! You can't control everything and you shouldn't try to. The saying really is true; "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger." I have an appreciation for life that most people never discover and I am so thankful for that. My Mom was diagnosed with cancer in April of 2000 and passed away in August of 2000, only 4 months after she was diagnosed. While it didn't happen overnight, losing my Mom at such a young age has taught me so many things about life and has made me so much stronger than I ever would have been. Lessons: #1- You never know how much time you have here, with the ones you love; time to make a difference; time to do all the things you want to do before you die. I've learned to make the best of each day & I try to be nice to everyone I meet. #2- You're never alone. Even on those days where you feel like nothing is going right, no one cares if you're upset and there's no one there to listen to you bitch and moan, someone is there. I haven't been able to have a "real conversation" with my mom in 7 years, but I talk to her everyday. As cliche as it sounds, I like to think of her as my guardian angel. She is with me everyday and she's always there to listen to me when I don't want to talk to anyone else. You have to make the best of what you have, even if you hate the circumstances. And just when you think you can't, tell yourself that it could always be worse!