My Mother A Woman I Will Always Cherish

On this 2nd Year Annivesary date of Mom's passing, I wanted to give you kids a little insight into the life of Gertrude M. West.  My Mom, your Grandmother and your Great-Grandmother.

Mother was the daughter of a John and Jenni Henry and was raised up in the deep south.  She came from a very large family, she had 1 sister and 5 brothers.  Her Mother passed away when she was 5 years old and she was raised primarily by her Father and her brothers and older sister.  I often have thought what that would have been like for her, to not ever really remember having a Mother.   I guess being so young, she never had that special Mother/Daughter bond that we all so many times take for granted.  She was very close to her Father (Pa) though.  When he passed away at the age of 95 she was devestated.

Mother only went to school through Elementary and never received a High School Diploma.  Yet, she was one of the most successful women that I know of.  Her success came in the way of being a great wife and and a great Mom to myself, my sister and 2 brothers.  She took such pride in all of us kids and was always there for us.  She never worked outside the home, however she did keep others children for them.  Growing up, we always had someone's kid or kids at our house. 

Mother was a great cook and every meal we had was her home-cooking, not drive-through like you guys do today.  Another one of Mother's things she loved to do was shop.  When I was a little girl, we would go on vacation and we would have to stop at just about every town, so Mother could shop for chanille bedspreads.  Her favorite store was a department store we use to have called Gayfer's.  I remember after getting married, that I would go into Gayfer's and a lot of the times while in there, I would see Mother browsing around in there.  She was so funny about buying things, she would buy a piece of furniture, try it out for awhile and if she didn't like it or the color, she would take it back.  My sister and I at Christmas time would tease and say "Just buy Mother anything, she is going to take it back anyway". 

Mother was a Christian woman and she loved God.  She didn't always understand the Bible like she wanted to, but she believed in the Word and applied it to her life daily.  I never heard Mother say a unkind word about anyone.  She loved everyone and you knew it.  She loved unconditionally and her life was a great testimony of her faith in God.  At an early age of 35 she became really sick in her body with arthritis which led to many many years of pain and suffering for her.  I never heard her complain, she never let us know just how much pain she was really in. 

Mother loved you all very much, she was so proud to be a Mom, a Grandmother and a Great-Grandmother.  She is in heaven now looking down on all of you and is so pleased with all of you.

I miss you Mother, but I am so thankful you left us with such a great Christian legacy.

Hang Tough Hayley

Let me introduce you to Hayley, she is my best friends Granddaughter and is one of the strongest little girls I know.  She is fighting

Leukemia.  On August 12, 2009 Hayley started on her own personal journey in life that would lead to days of pain not only for herself but for the family and friends that love her.  Hayley has touched so many lives and inspired us all.  She is currently undergoing treatment and is well on her way to beating this disease. 

Light The Night Walk is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's evening walk and fundraising event. It is the nation's night to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of people battling blood cancers and to commemorate loved ones lost.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) funds lifesaving research that has contributed to major advances in the treatment of blood cancers and treatments for other types of cancer, such as chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. New targeted therapies that kill cancer cells without harming normal tissue are providing drugs and procedures that are improving quality of life.

In fact, in 2009 alone, LLS researchers were conducting more than 90 clinical trials, a critical step in the development of new treatments and cures that will help patients live better, longer lives.

A donation of $25 provides patients and their loved ones with FREE booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and help them make informed decisions about their treatment options.

A donation of $50 makes possible a Family Support group with a trained facilitator where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members.

A donation of $100 helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures.

A donation of $1,000 makes possible one- on-one conversations with health care specialists who provide patients with information about their disease, treatment options, and helps prepare them with questions for their health care team.

Please make a donation to support my participation in the Light The Night Walk and help by visiting Hayley's page at http://pages.lightthenight.org/ncfl/Tallahas10/HayleysAngels