A TRIBUTE TO MOM
Yesterday, marked the one year and three months' day that my mom passed away. She was known as Elsie, although her name was Carmen Julia. It has been the toughest year of my life. Truthfully, knowing the scriptures, and the fact that one day she will rise and we will see each other again, does not make it any less painful. The words of comfort, although well intentioned, do not fill the void of her absence.
Mom was the strongest woman I've ever known; a super mom, a dedicated and loyal wife, and the perfect bride of Jesus. She was the first person each one of her five children would call to share news, exchange opinions on the Miss Universe show, consult on problems or recipes, and cry when in pain. Mom was always there for us, and even though she truly had a life of physical suffering, we could always count on her because the Lord and her family were first in her heart. She was always a person that wanted to go out and have fun with her family. Her pride was obvious in anything that we did, especially when she would hear me preach, or with the rest of her daughters and family in their singing ministry.
In her mid-thirties she was diagnosed with diabetes. Even though she tried her best to keep it under control, the disease caught up with her, when in her mid-fifties she had a heart attack that lead to open heart surgery and a five bypass operation. That never stopped her. The Lord was so good to all of us, that even though she was not supposed to survive longer than 15 years, she hung on for another ten. Her weak heart could not support her other organs, and eventually, she had renal failure and passed away on December 23, 2012. That was the saddest Christmas ever, and thoughts of "could I have done more" filled my head.
Guilt is always around the corner, and the love we feel for them is so big, that it makes us forget that this life and this world is NOT where we belong. If it was up to me, she would still be here, but at what cost? Her last Thanksgiving was at my house and we sat her on the couch without her having much awareness of what was going on around her. The pain was obvious and she mostly slept during dinner. Little did we know at the time that it would be her last holiday with us. Without any doubt, I know I will see her again. It is ok to feel sad and miss her. It is not an easy thing to go through. My dad and I talk about her all the time. We lost a mother, but he lost a wife he had been married to, for 62 years.
Dying is the last enemy Christians have to face, although we do that in Victory. Crossing over to be with God, or sleeping, as the Bible describes, should not be feared. It is winning the race and stepping in, into our last adventure---discovering what lies ahead.
Love you and miss you Mom....See you! And thank you God for making it possible.
P. S. She was the one that requested the articles be published in Spanish. She didn't want to miss anything. This is how my mom looks now in heaven. Was 17 years old in that picture. Love you mom! Will see you again.
