For My Mother

A little under six months ago I lost one of the most important and influential people in my life. My mother Sylvia, 63, lost her year-long battle with small-cell lung cancer and passed away on Easter Sunday this previous.

My mother was always a positive force in my life and supported me through all of my endeavors. She always accepted me for who I was even at my most misguided times, of which there were a few during my earlier years. She was the nicest, most welcoming person I’ve ever known, and she was always capable of finding the good in people and situations, no matter how bleak they seemed. I cared for her during her illness and throughout that time, as during the entirety of her life, she didn’t lose hope and pressed on even through the most abysmal points. She always had a positive attitude and never gave up, qualities from which I’ve taken much inspiration. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with life now and then and develop a negative outlook, but keeping her in mind I’ve been able to turn a lot of those tendencies in myself around and channel my energies in more positive ways moving forward.

All of my work and any success it brings me I dedicate to her for making me the person I am today. No matter what I accomplish I know she’d be proud of me, but I strive for the best in her memory – a memory that lives on, and will live on forever.