The Rose That Grew From Concrete: Until I See You Again, Mom…

My mom passed away on June 5, 2020. My world has not been the same since…

The world knew her as Dot Williams. But of course, I called her Mama. Her death caught all of us by surprise considering that she appeared to be in great health just a few days prior. To say that I was devastated when my brother called me with the news on that Friday would be an understatement. A huge part of my life was officially gone and there was absolutely nothing that I could do about it. This pain I wish upon no one. As I sit here at her desk typing this at her home office nearly two weeks later, it is still difficult for me to process. I mean, my mom isn’t here anymore. I can no longer just pick up the phone and call her to ask her random questions that only she would have the answer to. I will no longer get the chance to just give her a hug. I would give the world just to be able to sit at the dining room table and have one more home cooked meal with her. The part that hurts the most is that because everything happened so sudden, I wasn’t here to at least say goodbye (I live in Texas, my parents live in Alabama). There’s absolutely nothing that I can do or could have done about that, but it still haunts me every single day. I miss my mom. Let me try to paint a picture for you who of how great of a person she was.

My mom was an amazing woman. Everyone who knew her absolutely loved her. She and my dad have been married for nearly 41 years. Just hearing him talk about her brings a certain joy to my heart. In his eyes, no other woman on earth can compare to her.  And he’s right. That is my mom he’s talking about. Her presence completely changed the atmosphere of any room that she was in. She could carry on a conversation with anyone she came across and would instantly become a permanent fixture in their heart. My mom genuinely loved people. If she knew that you had a need, she would do everything in her power to meet it. She gave and did not expect anything in return. I understand that she was able to love like this because she had a personal relationship with Jesus. She didn’t just talk about the love of Christ, she exhibited it through her actions. As I sit back and just think about how her life turned out and the person she had become, she did it through impossible circumstances. You see, my mom truly was the rose that grew from concrete.

My mom lost both of her parents at a very young age. Unfortunately, all I know about my grandmother on her side is her name and one picture. She, along with her brothers and sisters, were raised by her aunt. She didn’t allow her circumstances or upbringing to dictate who she would be become. She was able to turn things around and become the woman that people loved. She was able to make an impact everywhere she went. My mom worked hard. She had to be very strong mentally to do the things that she did at such a high level. I didn’t get to really see this side of my mom because I didn’t work with her day in and day out. Just hearing stories from her coworkers over the years melts my heart. I know that my mom gave so much of herself to her coworkers over the years. She will be missed.

My parents have a genuine heart to help people. Over the past seven years, my parents would choose two Saturdays out of the month to cook and prepare meals for local nursing homes. They would take their own money, buy all of the supplies and spend Thursday, Friday, and Saturday cooking and preparing home cooked meals to take the residents. Over the years, they would get donations and people would join in to help out. But what never changed is that my mom would spend hours upon hours cooking really good food (my mom could COOK) just to feed the hungry. It would eventually lead to them starting their own Nonprofit organization. It grew to the point that they were cooking for 130 people every other weekend. They did it because they genuinely loved to help people. My mom was a business woman, and a very good one at that. She planted a seed that I will help to nourish and blossom.

I could write a novel about how amazing my mom was. As time goes on, I may write more and more about her. This helped me feel a little better today. I regret that she won’t be able to read any of it. Sometimes the only comfort I have is that my mom is in heaven and that I will be able to see her again. But for now, I feel like I’ve lost my biggest advocate here on earth. I look over my right shoulder and right behind me is the chair that she would pray in every single day. My mom was a prayer warrior. Every morning around 3 am, she would be up in this office sitting in her chair praying. I know that her prayers are the reason that I’m still alive today and why I’ve avoided so many pitfalls. I keep myself and my family covered in prayer. But I always felt as if I had that little bit of extra knowing that my mom was also up every morning going to God on behalf of her family. Words cannot accurately describe how great of a person my mom was. If you’re reading this and your mom is still alive, call her. If you’re able, go and hug her. You may never get the opportunity to do it again. The last time I was able to hug my mom was around Christmas. My parents were going to come visit on Easter, but a certain virus had other plans. So please, don’t take any living relative for granted or think that you’ll get to see them tomorrow. Go and do it today. It’s a blessing that you can still talk to your mom. It’s a blessing that you can still hear her voice. Cherish every moment. You don’t know when it may be your last opportunity.

y be your last opportunity.