I miss you Mom.  Every hour, when that talking clock says, "It's six, ah-clock" (or whatever time it is) I think of you and how you got a kick out of that little girl's voice and how she says, "ah-clock" instead of "o-clock."  And sometimes I say a little prayer to tell you that I love you or to tell you and the Lord that I love you and Grandma Josie.  Your passing was such a relief because you had suffered for so long with your blindness, numbness in your fingers and toes so that you couldn't feel anything and had to use the back of your hand to follow along the wall in the hallway to find your bedroom, and the diabetes and dialysis and amputations...
Sometimes love hurts, but sometimes the pain is mixed with such a sublime appreciation and true joy of having known you for nearly 57 years, and how you were always there for me when it seemed that no one else was (except for God, Who has also always been there for me) and to know that you loved me no matter how badly I screwed up.  All I can say is, thanks!

Mom's obituary appears here.