Tribute to Mom

There were a lot of things I admired about my mom, Rosita Zamora. First, she did everything she could to be a great mom. After she had me and all my bothers and sisters, and molded herself into the perfect housewife. She just took care of us, cooked and cleaned, and even sewed clothes for me, then washed a whole wardrobe for all of us.

There are so many stories about my mom—too many to tell here. She was a wonderful and unique woman. But selfishly, what I’ll miss about my mom was that she thought I was the smartest, most wonderful and talented man on the face of the earth. Even as an adult, she thought every little thing I did was wonderful. She often smiled, just to tell me how proud of me she was.

Losing my mom was, and is, intensely painful. She’s part of my life in so many ways, and that makes it more heartbreaking and comforting at the same time. Every day is different, and I know it will continue to be challenging. But there have also been good things that have come out of the experience. The love and kindness I received, and still am receiving, has been the biggest blessing. Caring for others makes you vulnerable, but the irony is that we can’t make it through life alone. I was strengthened by the love of my extended family, and we all grew closer. The generosity and caring of friends who offered all kinds of help, lifted me up.