You can shed tears that she is gone
Or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her
Or you can be full of the love that you shared
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday
You can remember her and only that she is gone
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
Or you can do what she would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
This poem is dedicated to my mother, Theresa. She was such an inspiration to me and to many others. She has touched so many lives through her courage, strength, and her unwillingness to give up. She was such a positive person. If I could only be half as strong of a woman she was. I am so blessed to have had her as my mother.