Thursday, March 15, 2007

Dedication to my Daughter, Sherri Lynn


Six years ago this month my heart’s delight passed away. Sherri was 35 years old and died of cancer. It started out as cervical cancer which could have been detected if she only had gone to have her yearly pap smear. As it was, money was tight for her and she let it go for 5 years. By the time it was discovered even surgery was out of the question. She went through chemo and radiation and, for a while, was in regression. However, cancer, as it usually does, reappeared and struck her in the spine, heart and other areas that I cannot recall right now. She lived about 4 1/2 years from the original discovery and I was able to spend the last 3 1/2 weeks of her life at her side.

Sherri was everything beautiful; a rainbow, a bubble, a star glimmering in the sky, a rosebud after the rain or an enchanting butterfly. She was small and delicate with gentle features, totally trusting and a warm, caring personality. I wish I had a photo to post on the site for everyone to see but she died before digital cameras and I do not own a scanner at this time and cannot scan her photo.

Needless to say, Sherri was loved by her whole family. As a child she was a pure delight filled with sweetness and warmth. She was quiet and introverted, a good student, a budding artist and a daughter that brought joy daily into the lives of those in her family. Sherri studied dance and art and painted some lovely pictures that in there being at least remind people that she was here. She absorbed the teachings of life refusing to see any disparity but creating beauty out of all she came in contact with.

She married when she was 20 years old on Valentine’s day. She bore two beautiful sons, Joshua and Sean, who were her whole life. She took great joy in being a mother and wife and strived in instill in her sons the teachings she had learned in her brief life and also developed in them a love and deep appreciation of nature in her sons.

She worked hard to attain the goals and challenges she set for herself and worked with conviction and determination towards that end. She shared her happiness with life with her small, close circle of friends and family and, for the most part, remained in the background preferring to observe and teach rather than lead.

She was a shining example of what a daughter can be - loving, compassionate, beautiful and good, honest and principled, determined and sensitive. She was what, I feel, every mother would wish for in her daughter and I am proud to have been part of her life.

No one should lose a child; parents are suppose to pass on first. Losing a child is losing part of your life; the grief is overwhelming and it took many years to think of her without crying. I do still, owever, get a tear in my eye when I see her handwriting, a photo of her or review some of the cards she sent me over the years.

I had three children and I treasure each and every one of them and they have all given me great pleasure and happiness.

Sherri is gone but not forgotten and in that memory she will live on.




Goodbye my sweet darling,
Your Mommy

4 comments:

  1. Sharon,

    My heart goes out to you. I lost my beautiful daughter when she was only 13, 29 years ago. The pain is now bearable, but it is always there. As you said, Parents should by cribs for their children, not coffins. What a beautiful tribute to an obviously blesed young woman.

    Patty Ramirez

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  2. I agree with Patty, this was a beautiful tribute to your daughter. No parent should lose a child; there seems something cosmically unjust in a child passing before the parent, something quite aside from a "normal" tragedy. I hope time brings further healing.

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  3. Sherri was my sister, Sharon is my mother. Sherri was the age that I am now when she passed. She missed the birth of my first child by just 18 days. Even though she never got to lay eyes on him, I know she would have instantly fallen in love as I did. I miss my sister terribly and only wish that I had the ability to talk with her and gossip like we use to. I know she would be proud of me today and that often gets me through times when I'm sad that she's gone.
    I still love her dearly.

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  4. As a mother of 2 young children, I have no greater fear than losing a child and cannot fathom the pain it must be.
    Thank you for sharing the tribute to your daughter.

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