Today marks another sad anniversary - it's been two years since my dear mom passed away. It is extremely difficult, as we were very close to each other, as mother and son; she was also my best friend. I'm grieving and I will be for the rest of my life. However, over time one thought became crystal clear to me - the best way to keep live and warm memories of my mother and celebrate her life, full of good and bad, victories, challenges and sacrifices, is for me to become successful, happy and bring as much kindness and positiveness as possible to other people and this world.

My dear mom, I want you to know that I have successfully defended my Ph.D. dissertation and graduated from the program. That was not only my dream, but yours, too. Thank you for all your help and sacrifices you've made to make this happen. I did my best to successfully finish before today and, especially, before your 85th birthday anniversary later this May - I hope that you would love receiving this gift from me.

Mom, I love you and miss you so much! You will always be in my heart and I will do everything that I can to keep my loving memory of you forever. Rest in peace, my dear. Your son, Sasha.

Photo: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=97656&picture=autumn-by-the-lake

Today marks a very sad anniversary - one year since my dear mother passed away. To say that today is a very sad day would be to say almost nothing. I can't believe it's already been a year - memories of recent past are so fresh and vivid... One year filled with pain and sorrow. One year of thinking that it's a bad dream and realizing that it's a cruel reality. Today it's very difficult not only to find the right words, but to think and even to breathe. I am learning to live with this pain.

Mom, I miss you SO MUCH! But, warm memories of you help me find the power to continue to live. I know that you wouldn't want me to grieve indefinitely. You'd want to be proud of me. And I will do my best, so you could be proud. I will skip details, but I want you to know that I'm working hard on my dissertation and plan to graduate this year. I'm doing the best I can to take care of myself, considering all the circumstances.

I know that you'd want me to be happy. And I will do my best to be happy, for you and for myself. But, regardless of the results, you will ALWAYS be in my heart. The best mother, the closest and dearest friend, the strongest and humblest person I know. You are my role model and I'm honored and lucky to be your son. Love you FOREVER, my dear!

Photo: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=43654&picture=purple-lilac-and-sky

My darling Mommy! I cannot believe that it has been six months since you left. I have such a strange feeling... On one hand, it feels like time was flying fast and things were happening in a distant past. On another hand, it feels that time was moving painfully slow and things were happening yesterday. A caleidoscope of people, events and thoughts... Some minor details become a little fuzzy, but what remains crystal clear in my memory is your kindness and positive attitude, smile and sense of humor, courage, strength and resilience, desire to live and do good to people. This is how I remember you and how you will be remembered forever. The best mom, the closest friend, true inspiration. I miss you dearly every day, and love you so much! Your son, Sasha.

My dear Mama! Today has been three month since you are not with us. I am sorry that I did not write to you during last two months - I was very busy with a lot of matters, many of them were related to you. But there was not a single day that I would not think about you. I cried a lot, but I smiled, too, remembering our better times. Even if time really does heal, as they say, it is still a very long way, and scars of loss will remain forever.

As I promised, I gathered myself and continue to live the best I can. You would be happy to know that I worked hard on my dissertation and sent the next revision for review. Also, I have your urn, it is very beautiful. Now it is being hand engraved and it will be even nicer last home for you. I still trying to fix my life, like sleep schedule and other issues, but I am sure I will succeed - I have had such a great example of you. You taught me a lot about perseverance and excellence, patience and courage. And your compassion to people is also part of the light that will guide me in life.

During these last two months, I also finished working on your photos, which I had scanned earlier. Now all your photos are dated (to the best of my knowledge), sorted chronologically and also I wrote comments for them in Russian and English. I posted the photos online, to your memorial website here and also to a private photo album for family and friends. I am very happy, as you would be, too, that many people already viewed your photos and liked them a lot. I will continue finding more about people (on the photos) that I do not know and will be updating the comments.

My dear, while it seems that you have left, you really have not. You are still with me and many people, who knew you, in our hearts and memories. I miss you so much, but I love you even more. You are always with me and I am always with you. As long as you are remembered, you are alive. Kiss you, hug you! Love you forever! -- Your son Sasha.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uRtNMFfF-g

My dear mommy! Today has been one month since you have left us. They say that time heals. Maybe, but so far it has been incredibly difficult, no - impossible - to fill that emptiness in my heart. You are such a big part of my life that it is difficult to breathe when I think about you. But I know that I have to continue to live my life and achieve something. I know that you wanted this so much. So, between memories and tears, I am trying to pick myself up and go forward. Despite everything, I enrolled in the next semester at the university and I am working hard on my dissertation. I am doing this and for you, too. You inspired me and supported me so much in this endeavor that I simply cannot fail. And also I am trying to start my IT consulting business, but this is lower priority now. Trying to eat better and get some sleep... This one is difficult as I can't stop thinking about you... You were, are, and will be that light in my life that makes it brighter and helps not to deviate from the course. Thank you for everything! Miss you so much, love you forever. -Your son, Sasha

Hello everyone and I greatly appreciate you coming. I would like to thank everyone who helped my mom and me one way or another during difficult times for their kindness and support. It is a pleasure and honor knowing you all. Today is a very special day as we gathered to say farewell to my dear mother Marchela Blekh. I would like to dedicate my speech to her loving memory.

Words cannot describe the feelings of enormous sadness and emptiness in hearts of those whose loved ones left them and this world. But we need to ask ourselves: “What those who passed away would prefer us to do – to mourn and grieve our loss or to celebrate and honor their lives?”  The answer is clear. Celebrating and honoring lives not only ease the pain and fill that emptiness in our hearts, but also give us an opportunity to reflect and appreciate having those special people in our lives.

My dearest mama! You left us so unexpectedly, so I would like to use this opportunity to thank you. Thank you for your kindness. Your motto in life was: “Treat people the same way that you would like them to treat you”. And I accepted this as one of main guiding principles for my life. And this is why you were getting only good from most people that you met during your life journey. You were forgiving me my mistakes, small and big, my wrong words, which I have said during stressful moments. You were helping people when they needed it, not expecting anything in return. And people do appreciate that. Thank you for your integrity. You were demanding excellence in everything from yourself in the first place and only after that from me and other people. Thank you for your energy. You did not like to sit or lay and rest. You even did not like the word ‘rest’. You always wanted to do something, for me, for our family, for other people. Thank you for your talent. When you were young, you wanted to become an engineer constructor. And while the life somewhat changed your plans, your creative engineering talent found itself in many technological improvements that you proposed as well as in five patents that you co-authored. Thank you for your dedication to family and to me, in particular. You brought me into this world when you were 40 and you did not think first about your life and health. You gave me my life by risking yours and for this I am eternally grateful for you. Back in Moldova, when I stayed in hospital after a surgery, you, being sick yourself and risking your own health, cared for me every day. Thank you for your sense of humor. When you were smiling, you were making the world around you brighter. Thank you for your courage. Even after you became very sick, you continued to hope for the better and fight for it. Thank you, mama, for being with us. I am extremely lucky and honored to have in my life such a wonderful friend and an amazing mother. And I will not let you down, I promise. Thank you for everything. I love you so much and I always will. You will be missed, but never forgotten, as long as we will hold onto memories and legacy of yours in our hearts.