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Memories of Mommy in the Cruel April Snow
By Hettie V. Williams
I have known unimaginable grief in the last few weeks having lost three family members in less than two months (including both parents and one of my Aunts); but, the death of my Mom Gloria, on April 8 of this year, is the greatest loss I have ever experienced. Mom died after a short but valiant battle with a rare form of endometrial cancer. She was always a fighter but this diabolical disease won in the end. Mommy was my best friend, confidant, and closest advisor. I spoke to her nearly every day of my 17,983 days on this planet — or at least since the day that I came to know language and able to form sentences. My heart has exploded into a million shards of glass. Don’t tell me “at least she lived a full life” or that she was “older.” Seventy-six is too young to die. This essay is my attempt to construct a portrait of her complete humanity while muddling through memories and sadness.
My Mom was a larger than life figure in my world and, admittedly, I idealized her and placed her on a pedestal. She was a smart, feisty, empowered woman and an arresting beauty.
