I had a huge amount of respect for her...and a little bit of fear of her too. I never wanted to disappoint her. She was a wonderful motivator and I knew she was my biggest fan. She was super organized and I always knew that she had my back. She worked so hard to make every holiday special. Each and every birthday was a celebration. She was honest and kind. She taught me everything I know about having strength and knowing when to fight. She grew up poor, but always made her childhood stories sound so rich. My dad was the love of her life. She taught me how to walk, how to study, and how to weed out 'the good ones.' She was my best friend.
It was through her fight with cancer that I learned that you can push through a lot of pain and fear to try to find a normal balance in life. In her final days she taught me not to be afraid. She gave me faith. We would have never imagined how much I would need those final lessons. I try to talk about her often so the boys will know how great she was. I was so blessed to have such a wonderful mother for 28 years. She was the best.
Gwendolyn Blackmon Gusic
February 18, 1951-December 13, 2002
What a great picture! Just like I remember her. I can hear her saying, "Now, girls, remember to wear your seat belts.".
ReplyDelete"I promise, Wendy!"
I think of her often when getting in my car!
She was wonderful, Toni! And she lives in you!