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"Good-bye, Mom."

"Good-bye, Mom. I love you. I’ll be back next week."

My mom was recently diagnosed with late-stage cancer. I was fortunate enough to spend some time with her and the rest of my family last week. And of course during this time we’ve all had the opportunity to reflect on her life.

She grew up in very humble circumstances. She married my father and moved to the Dallas area to start and raise a family, a responsibility that would be her primary focus for a quarter of a century. She was active in the PTA, and after moving to Victoria, Texas, she founded and led the Volunteers In Public Schools program.

Once her children were grown, she attended and graduated from Victoria College and the University of Houston, earning membership in the prestigious Delta Kappa Gamma academic honor society. Upon graduation she began a teaching career in the Victoria Independent School District, continuing to positively change the lives of children year after year.

Some years ago, both my parents began to embrace their lifetime love of automobiles and joined a local car club called Crossroad Cruisers. Their living room sparkles with countless trophies won at car shows all over the state of Texas.

Last Thursday as I left their home, I hugged my mother and said, "Good-bye, Mom. I love you. I’ll be back next week."

This morning, my sister called to tell me that she was gone.

As I grieve for my family’s loss, I remember this: For over forty years I enjoyed spending time with a truly remarkable woman and had the best mother in the world. I’m incredibly fortunate and grateful.