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I received a phone call on an April evening in 1998. My mother's voice was on the other end of the line. Little did I know this call would forever change my life. I knew something wasn't right just by the tone she was using. She sounded very upset, which was unusual for my mother, as she was always upbeat and cheerful.
When she told me she had been diagnosed with cancer, my heart sank. I was speechless; I wasn't quite sure what to say. I cleared my throat while trying to hold back the tears. I told my mother I loved her and I would be there for her as often as I could. You see, I live in Tennessee and at that time my mother was living in Florida.

When I informed my fiance about my mother's cancer, he immediately made plans for us to leave the next morning for Florida. I was so nervous; I didn't know how I was going to react when I reached my mother. By the time we arrived, she was at the hospital having several tests run. When I walked into my mother's room I had a lump in my throat. I saw her sitting there on the bed with worry in her eyes.
After my visit I headed back home to Tennessee. I called her everyday just to hear her voice and tell her I loved her. With each passing day her voice grew weaker and weaker. I tried my best to keep my spirits high and not let her know I was upset. I didn't want her to have to worry about me; she was going through enough already.
I never realized how much cancer could affect a family. Even though we are not the ones with the disease, we suffer in our own way; by realizing we are possibly going to lose a loved one. Losing a member of the family is hard, but Mother's are the heart of the family, when they are no longer with us, the family seems broken.
In late June of 1998 my grandmother called and told me I needed to get to Florida as soon as I could. She said my mother wasn't doing well. Again, I packed my bags and rushed to her side. I sat with my mother day and night for a week as she slept. A Home Health nurse came to check on my mother on July 1, 1998 and she informed us that my mother was doing better. So, going by her judgment, and my grandmother telling me she would call if there was any change, I headed back to Tennessee.
A few days after returning home, I received a phone call telling me my mother had passed away; this was the 5th of July at 7:00 a.m. I dropped to my knees and began to cry. I knew this day was coming, but I never prepared myself. My mother was gone, my heart was broken.
It has been ten years since my mother passed away. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of her. I still catch myself wanting to pick up the phone and call her. She was my best friend as well as a wonderful mother; she will always be in my heart. With the help of my family and friends, I have made it through these past ten years. It has not been an easy road, but I know I will one day see her again, and that is what keeps me going.

Learn more about this author, Tabitha Easley.
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