COFFEE IN MORNING

"Ma, do you want a cup of coffee?"  was the very first thing she said as she opened the door of her beautiful home located in Thousand Oaks, California.  Just to be able to arrive at her home from Fresno, California was a big thing to me.  I was absolutely nervous driving thru the grapevine and weaving around all the winding roads with so many cars going faster than the speed limit.  I naturally said yes to her.  I needed that cup.  A strong one at that. 


My world as I knew it had suddenly taken a turn for the worse with the news that my youngest daughter had breast cancer.  I was a wreck.  Crying all the time and feeling depressed and not knowing what to do or whom to turn to.  My daughter, who lived so far away from me was slowly leaving me.  She had invasive breast cancer at last stage.  I wanted to quit my job and be by her side helping her in anyway I could.


Jeannette's main focus in life at the time was her children.  She wanted them to remember her so she went on a journey of making memories with them.  She hardly rested and was always up either driving her children to school or taking them to dental appointments, etc.  I could not get  through to her.  She insisted.  I have never known a mother like her.  She was a warrior.  Battling cancer, taking care of her home and especially her children.


I remember one night during my stay at her house, she asked me to sleep with her.  She wanted me to hold her like when she was a little girl.  I held back tears as she nestled herself  gently in my arms.  I prayed To God to please cure her of cancer.  She loved having me so close to her and fell asleep for  a couple of hours.  She woke up to extreme pain.  We both cried together.  Before long it was morning again.  I got up to make her oatmeal(bena) and coffee. 


She loved her coffee.