Saying Goodbye to A Very Special Woman

Every day I am reminded more and more how precious life is and how important family should be in our lives. God says in His word to focus on tomorrow and not to worry about tomorrow because He knew that "today" would be a gift. So far this year, we've lost two very special and important people in our family. It hasn't been easy at all. A trying year for us, many tears have been shed. First my grandfather whom I miss everyday and now my beloved aunt Roxana. She passed yesterday, she was only 51. She's always been a warrior, a hero in my eyes. She persevered a the loss of her unborn baby, who would have been her eldest. She was 9 mos. pregnant and while trying to help someone on the street she slipped. She lost him right away. She also endured through a trying marriage where she dealt with the after math of alchoholism, drugs and aggression ending in an ugly divorce. She worked long hours and fought hard to raised her kids on her own while my uncle was lost with addictions. Last year, she was diagnosed with breat cancer on both breats. They immediately removed them and she underwent chemotherapy. She was able to recover, her hair grew back and she went right back to work. Last month, she went in to reconstruct her breats and what seemed like a normal procesure left her in a coma. She would open her eyes from time to time but she was unresponsively for the most part. They told her children that she had very little white blood cells and what looked like cancer in her bone marrow. She despirately fight fo rher life for almost a month until yesterday. I got the call from my uncle telling me she passed away:( Even though she had been hospitalized you are just never prepared to recieve that phone call.




I took this picture of her this past January. She seemed so healthy. She was like a mother to me growing up. She was so soft spoken and loving. I know she loved me like a mother still because she held my hand the entire service at my grandfather's funeral. I felt so save! I had my mom on one side and her on the other. There is a picture of me when I was 1 with her bathing me. She watched me, she nurtured me and protected me. Interesting thing is....we are not blood related. She was married to my mom's brother. You don't have to be related to be a "mother" to someone. Her love for me was genuine and strong. She always walked around with this beautiful smile:D One that is recorded in my mind and in my heart. God really loves His children and surrounds them with so much love, all of shapes, sizes and forms. I am so grateful with my Lord for lovign me so much through the wonderful women in my life.




Here I am with my cousin, her son. We grew up like brother and sister. They lived two houses down so we were always together. He was like a big brother to me and protected me.




This is me with her daughter Marcela who's a year younger than me and our kindergarten teacher. We were also very close...like sisters. We walked to school together, played house, climbed trees and even slept at each other's houses..in the same bed lol. She kicked lots though but I sitll loved her. They were like my big brother and little sister. My mom and her were very close, they sewed together, painted together, and were there for each other. I think that their bond was an example for us to follow. All we knew was that we were to love each other.




This is her with her son this past January. His mom meant the world to him!



This is her with her beautiful grandson Gael. It brings me to tears to see this picture because she loved her grandson in such a beautiful way! She longed to pick him up and teach him. She was teaching him songs and words. It was so touching to see her with Gael because it was obvious that they had a very special bond. The kind of bond that I had and still have my with grandma.

I know that it has been a trying year so far BUT God is walking by our side holding our hand. We are not alone. God promises to give us the strength we will need to move forward. There is still work to do..... I thank God for blessing me with the opportinity to have met such a beautiful person. God gave me my Tia Roxana because He knew that I would need to be surrounded by love in this could and lonely world. My heart rejoices as I see God's hand at work in my life way before I was even born. My Tia Roxana will always be remembered as a blessing in my life! When we are loved by others....that is God's way of whispering into hearts "I LOVE YOU MY CHILD"

"Thank You my God for ALL you've done in my life. The good times and the trials...especially the trials because they humble me, they bring me to my knees and remind me of who I am in YOU...that I serve a very powerful and loving God. You are my hope and my comfort. I would be completely lost without You. I wouldn't have made it" May You get all the glory and honor as You bring me through the rain!

In Jesus name, AMEN!

P.S. I will never ever forget your warm smile Tia Roxana!!!