To say Marie was a brat is an understatement! Her response was always a wrinkled-up nose and an “ewe-da!” Although we lived worlds apart, my cousin was like a sister to me. She grew up caring for her autistic brother. Then, when her parents divorced, she cleaned and cooked for her brother and mom while Mom worked.
Taking care of them left little time or energy for a husband, so her attempts at wedded bliss resulted in three failed marriages. Next, she moved into public housing and worked at a fast-food restaurant while caretaking her own two children, her brother and mother, who was now battling liver cancer. With her mom’s care becoming more demanding, she reluctantly placed her brother in assisted care. Then Mom passed away, taking a piece of her daughter’s heart with her.
On a routine visit, Marie found her brother unresponsive. He had taken his own life. Shaken to the core, she stopped working and relied on her now-grown children to support her.
The miracle of twin grandchildren renewed her energy and joy, attracting the love of her life. But then she received a diagnosis of Stage 4 liver cancer. With everything to live for, she fought hard to survive.
Ultimately, Marie lost her battle with cancer. Although her body was defeated, her enduring spirit lives on in my memories of her, giving me the strength to continue to care for caregivers.
GIMME A BREAK (nonprofit)
808-754-3787 (text only) | savy@gab808.org
gab808.org
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