Tribute to my Mother-In-Law

by Maxine
(San Francisco, CA)

It is an honor to stand before you and share my precious memories of Mom.

I am truly Blessed to have had the incredible gift of having a “Mother In-Law” in my life. All of my memories of Mom were deeply special to me because I lost my biological Mom when I was 26. Mom allowed me the meaningful experience and blessing of a loving connection.

I have so many amazing memories of Mom. She had so many wonderful qualities: she was warm, compassionate, kind, caring, giving, generous, understanding, loving, and had a huge heart. She was sharp and had a great memory, especially when it came to dates. You couldn’t get anything past her.

Mom had various hobbies that she was passionate about:

• Cooking - She enjoyed cooking & baking and trying new recipes. She made delicious cuisines & would often share them with me. She also liked to bake. I have a sweet tooth and my favorite dessert was her cassava cake.
• Gardening - She had a passion for gardening and loved tending to her rose garden. She certainly had a green thumb. Gardening was very therapeutic for her.
• Sewing and Crocheting - She enjoyed sewing & crocheting. I recall her crocheting Kels a pink baby outfit. I was gifted a handmade scarf. Mom tried to give me crocheting/knitting lessons once which I regretfully never pursued. Now I wish I had because it would be a nice hobby when I retire.
• Network Shopping - She enjoyed shopping from QVC which is a TV shopping network (before the birth of Amazon Prime). It was one of her favorite pastimes. She always had a “new” package delivered (which may resonate with some of you). And, she had to hide them from Dad.

One of the most precious gift and companion in my life is my fur-baby (Brynzy-Skyler). I adopted her almost 11 yrs ago. Mom went to the SPCA with me during one of our Sat excursions after lunch. Mom was the one who helped me “select” my little girl, who chose “me” to be her forever Mommy. Brynzy always accompanied me during my visits to Mom in Vallejo and visits to Roseville.

What I Miss most about Mom is our “Mother-Daughter” quality time. Our weekend excursions would consist of:

• Grocery shopping @ Costco & Trader Joe’s Retail therapy @ Ross or Macy’s - she would always end up with more items than me.
• Dining - we enjoyed going to lunch at to our favorite restaurants. She was mindful and would always order a lunch meal “to-go” for Dad
• Enjoyed having McD’s Hazelnut Ice-Coffee together.

My most cherished and precious memories was when Kels was able to join us for lunch; experiencing the gift of 3 generations was meaningful and always touched my heart.

When she was relocated to Excel Care Home in Vallejo I continued to visit her & spend quality time together. Brynzy would accompany me during those visits.
I would order take-out and we would dine-in together. I enjoyed giving her manicures. We bonded over celebrity gossip and current news events. Often times she was oblivious to news headlines because all she watched was her soap operas. Although, she did enjoy watching sports.

We continued our shopping sprees at Ross. We would still enjoy our fav McD ice coffee. (The simple things in life, yet moments so meaningful.)
I would bring her fav Trader Joe snacks and juices for her to enjoy during the week.
Kels accompanied me on a few of my visits and also visited on her own. I’m incredibly grateful that Mom was able to meet her great-granddaughter Brooklyn during one of our visits. Four generations - truly priceless!

I have Endless Gratitude for Mom. Most
significantly for being Kels’ grandmother. I did not experience having grandparents and I wanted Kels to experience that blessing.

I lost both my parents by the age of 34. Shortly after losing my biological Dad, I visited Mom & Dad to express that I wanted them to “always be a part of Kel’s life “because I wanted her to experience the gift of having “grandparents”.

Both Mom & Dad honored my wish and have “truly” been there for Kels and have always been supportive. Mom was always there to celebrate her milestones: she attended her Birthday’s and graduation ceremonies. I am eternally grateful.

Thank you, Mom for bringing Bernie into this world, and most importantly “Thank You” for touching our lives and for being Kel’s Grammy and Brooklyn & Lit’s Great-Grammy.

The most impactful and memorable moments were the family holiday traditions that Kels was able to experience every single year with the Torres family.

Thank you, Mom for instilling the values and touchstones of family tradition in her. Although Bernie & I were no longer together I was never excluded from the annual holiday events. I am forever grateful to Mom for our close & loving relationship.

Mom always introduced me as her “daughter” (not DIL) whenever we were out and about. She was very friendly and conversed with everyone during our outings. I have so many fond and priceless memories of Mom which I will forever hold dear to my heart. I truly miss her “essence and unconditional love”.

There was a deep void in my life when she moved to Roseville because I couldn’t visit her as often as I wanted to due to the travel distance and my anxiety. Although, I wasn’t able to visit as often, Mom was always “near and dear to my heart” and in my prayers.

Mom lived her best life! She had the incredible gift of living life to its fullest. She is now with our Heavenly Father and was welcomed at the Gates of Heaven by Dad, Cynthia, Bernie, Ian, my parents, and my brother Junior. She is now our new “Angel in Heaven” who will watch over us and provide us with protection, guidance, and light from above.

“Thank You Mom” for so many incredible blessings you brought to my life and for granting me with an abundance of amazing memories. I am honored to have been your Daughter in-law. Thank you for allowing me the experience of having a Mom. 🙏🏼

**I want to take this moment to Acknowledge and Thank Jane for welcoming Mom into her home after she was discharged from the rehab facility in Fairfield. I appreciate you for taking care of Mom these past few years. I have nothing but love & heartfelt gratitude to you - for your selfless time & devotion in caring for Mom and for keeping her healthy up until her time of transition. “Thank you, Jane, I am eternally grateful”. 🙏🏼**

“Mom - I Miss You! I will always Honor you & Love you! You will forever be in my heart.💖 May you rest in peace.”🙏🏼 ✝️