thoughts and prayers

i've known terry singla since junior high... almost 20 years. we went to high school together at schaumburg and then subsequently to college at champaign. when my mom passed away in 1999, he was one of the friends that got up to say something during the wake. it meant a lot to me to hear him speak and show his support to my family. this week, i am sad to say, it is my turn to do the same.

this is the message terry sent to his family and friends...

❝ I wanted to let you all know that my mom passed away at 1:10am on Sunday morning (9/2). She would have turned 61 years of age this coming Saturday. For those of you who don't know, she was diagnosed w/ breast cancer in November 2006. In March 2007, it was determined that the cancer had spread into the liver, and most likely was already there prior to being diagnosed. Though she was determined to fight, the cancer was extremely aggressive, and was not responsive to 4 different chemotherapies. Through it all, she always kept a positive attitude, and never lost faith. She loved her family, and was the best mother one could wish for. She will be missed very much.

To all of you who called, emailed and kept us in your thoughts and prayers, I really appreciate it. It made it a lot easier to go through this difficult time having such close family & friends.

Please give your parents and loved ones a hug as you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Terry ❞

in the days and months and years since my mom's passing, i realized that the best way to heal was to talk about her... to tell stories and think about the great times and smile out loud at the wonderful memories. it was always great to hear about what other people remembered most about her... especially the little things.

i remember a lot about terry's mom, she was always so loving and kind. and terry was always sweet to her, giving her hugs and standing with his arm around her all the time.

one of those little things i will never forget is that she taught us how to correctly put hot sauce on our taco bell entrées. i used to unwrap my burrito and add hot sauce to the whole thing before eating it. but she had devised a more efficient method. she liked to put the hot sauce on, just before every bite, so that she could taste it every time... like how a lot of people put sweet and sour sauce on egg rolls. to this day i still eat taco bell like that, and i honestly think about terry and his mom every time.

she will be missed, and my thoughts and prayers are with terry and his family during this difficult time.
(please contact me for information about the memorial services)