This is my mom, Donna Deanne Michael. She was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in April of 2004. At her funeral in April of 2005, my brother, David, read the famous quote "It was the best of times and it was the worst of times." That quote never had any meaning for me before that day.
Life with my mom wasn't always a nice little fairy tale. She was my mom and I was her daughter. We struggled to find that adult, well-balanced relationship. It was hard. We both wanted it, but couldn't manage to get it together.
Regardless of our past history, in 2002 I got my real estate license so I could work with my mom. To this day, I believe God was in total control of leading that ship. My mom worked WAY too much over the 30 years that she sold real estate and that just didn't appeal to me whatsoever! And I was right! I didn't like it. But, it turned out to be the best thing I have ever done in my life. It brought us together.
Over the next couple of years, we worked together, we played together...we laughed, we cried. I got a much closer look into the type of woman my mom was. It was an incredible experience to learn how amazing she was.
One of the first things that happened after I started working with my mom was she received an award from our company, Prudential Henry & Burrows. It was a surprise to her. The award was for her dedication to giving back to the community and for her integrity. The sad thing is she received a lot of awards over the years. But, none of us knew what a big deal it actually was. I'll never forget the look on her face when she realized she was the recipient of this award. To be honest...she was kind of mad...AT ME! For not telling her. But, it was such an honor to witness it and be a part of that part of her life.
My favorite thing about my mom is how she handled her grandkids. She loved her grandkids. In the late 90's, she decided to take her granddaughters on Christmas Adventures instead of buying them things. About October, she would start planning. She'd have an idea of what she wanted to do, then we got the creative juices flowing. At Thanksgiving, she would have all her clues in place so the girls could spend the next month guessing. They would call her from time to time "is it this, grandma??" They loved it. I think they loved the hunt as much as the actual adventure. They did things like Build A Bear, got dressed up for plays at the Midland, took ice skating lessons...so much more. When we realized that Christmas 2004 might be her last Christmas with us, the grandkids took grandma on a Christmas Adventure. They put together a concert titled "Twas the Night Before Christmas". The two older grandkids took turns reading the story, while the granddaughters played songs on their intruments or sang carols. It was beautiful...and sad. The atmosphere wasn't sad. But, I was sad on the inside.
This picture is of my brother, Rex, and our mom. To me, it reflects our family best the year that she battled cancer. We spent as much time with her as we could. Talking...just being together. Creating memories that would stay with us. This picture was taken right before my mom died. Our whole family went to the River of Life Farm down in the Ozarks. We stayed in cabins for a few days. Just hanging out. I want to say that we were all there for her. But, the truth is...she was there for us. She knew she was dying. She made the process easier for us. She loved us through it...all the time I thought it was the other way around.
Since my mom's death, I have learned even more about her, about us. She was my biggest, unconditional fan. As I continue through life, I find myself needing to call her and tell her something, like what's going on with the kids, our home...how much weight I've lost...or gained. I thank God for giving us that time together. Time that we got right.
My brother, Rex, wrote a poem the morning after she passed away. We included it in the memorial card and then decided to add it to her headstone. I want to share it with you. It truly sums up who she is to us.
Like a rose in the dew-covered spring morning,
She brings a smile to the face of those fortunate enough to have known her.
Like a cactus that endures the harsh midday heat,
She shows us how to be strong and protective without forgetting how to nourish those in need.
Like a twilight star on a crisp autumn evening,
She beckons us to be brave and to join her as she reaches for the sky.
Like the last mountain wildflower under a midnight moon,
She inspires us to live in the moment and to live our lives well to the last.
She leaves this world just as she lived,
She makes each moment, each season, and each person feel special.
And she is beautiful.
Forever.
In Loving Memory of Donna Deanne Michael
(click on picture to enlarge)
Thanks for reading. I hope you'll leave a comment and share your story.
Mindy
