A special thank you: To Grandview for everything you did for Mom during the last 15 years. She made many friends there, both residents and staff, and you are all appreciated. To Paul for always checking in on Mom over the years. To Deb for taking Mom to church when she could go and for the Diet Pepsi. To anyone else I missed who in any way showed her kindness and caring.

It's hard to put eighty years of someone's life into just a few sentences. You pick out the best things, the things that seem most important, but we all know life is much more than that. There are good times, and bad times, and all those in between times, that make up everyone's life. So many things happen and there is just no way to share them all.

One of her favorite writings was the Serenity Prayer.

'God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.'

Life isn't always fair. There are no guarantees. Mom knew that and she did her best to make her journey through it with what God had given her. She relied on her faith and hoped it would show her the way. She relied on others when she needed to and was thankful. She helped others when she could and was happy to do so. If we all did that the world would be such a better place.

Never take what you have for granted because someday it may be gone. Cherish your loved ones because we don't live forever. We love and miss you Mom!