general equivalency diploma by studying at night, often with her kids tagging along. There they sat, in the corridor, waiting patiently each night for her class to end, until she got what she worked hard for – a validation that she was not uneducated, even if this was all she could achieve at the time.
I remember her as a fighter. She loved her family more than anything. She was like a mother lion, willing to put up a fight if she sensed any danger. When her husband abandoned her, she didn’t cry, mope or lament her fate. She dedicated herself to putting food in her children’s bellies and clothing on their backs. She always said, “If a man doesn’t want you then he doesn’t deserve you.” She held her head up high and moved forward with her life. Her quiet dignity in the midst of a tragic circumstance was an important lesson for her children.
I remember her as a fighter. Even though her body began to give out and illness got the better of her, she fought on. Almost 30 years she smoked. A chic habit at the time, everyone did it but for her it was one with deadly consequences. Of course, she was regretful of the mistakes she made with her health but she knew the damage was done. Even between ever-increasing visits to the doctor, numerous hospital stays over the years and the chronic pain that took over towards the end, she pressed on. She wanted to maintain a sense of normalcy for her family and so she gritted her teeth in the midst of the pain and maintained all the family traditions with strength and will that most of us take for granted.
I remember her as a fighter because she is no longer here. She suffered a brain bleed and then lapsed into a coma that lasted six weeks. She should’ve died. The doctors said so but that’s what she was - a fighter. She lasted three months after that accident. It was as if God gave us time as a family to say goodbye. Of course, no one wants a loved one to die, especially that person closest to you. It’s just an inexpressible loss but the grief is assuaged by the memories she left behind. If she were here, she’d say, “Fight! Don’t give up! Follow your dreams.”
I remember her as a fighter and her legacy will never be forgotten. She is and will always be my daily inspiration. I want to make her proud even if she is no longer here because I want to be like my mother…remembered as a fighter.
About the Author
Margie Jimenez is an aspiring writer, who hopes one day to inspire, captivate, delight and encourage others with her written works.
If you want to know more about her mother, Norma for whom this tome is written and was inspired by, click here - https://norma-echevarrianater.memory-of.com/About.aspx
Connect with Me Online:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wordtothewise78]
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