As babies, we don’t get to choose who our mothers will be. That is something God assigns us. But who our mothers are, can give you the fuel in life to become the strongest you, you know. I was fortunate to be blessed with the best possible woman as my mom. My mother, Gwendolyn Perez, was my rock. She was the glue that kept my family together. She kept us grounded by always spreading positivity and helping us see the glass half full and never empty. My rock has left us and gone back home to be with God. My mom taught long and hard with constant pains throughout her body but never felt defeated nor showed it. Always with a smile and positive mindset. After fighting so hard to stay alive for our family, She was finally able to let go and be at peace after I assured her that I was going to be okay. Sje was worried that I wasn’t going to be okay and she didn’t want to leave me. After giving her that reassurance, She nodded, closed her eyes and was able to go. Our cruel reality is that we have no funds to give my mom the burial she wished and so truly deserves. I’ve always thought that I didn’t deserve help from anyone so I stay quiet and try and push through life but I simply cannot do this on my own. Just a simple cremation so I can have her ashes with me until I can afford to bury her in her plot is $2,500. This is something that we have to come up with in less than a week’s time. She wanted a proper service with a viewing and a burial and I cannot afford it. She wanted us to be financially stable when she left so she set up a supplemental life insurance policy after almost dying a year ago and now having her lifestyle completely change with dialysis treatments three times a week due to chronic kidney failure. Triple bypass and valve replacement ended up with her having chronic heart failure. I thought I would have more time with the woman who gave me everything and taught me to think on the brighter side of things. Diabetes destroyed my one and only living family that I had left. She developed liver failure and her body went into septic shock. My dad died holding my hand as he left this world and crossed over 14 years ago and my maternal grandma left a gage in our hearts 9 years ago. I am by myself now fighting to keep my family afloat with a brother who is special needs and hasn’t been officially diagnosed because, let’s face it, lots of mothers don’t want to classify their child as someone with a disability. She knew he was different but my brother was her baby and she was going to take care of him always. No financial help for him has been set up. I am left to fill in the missing pieces to an intricate jigsaw puzzle who’s pieces are more than half missing. My mom went from full time with company life insurance policy to needing the supplemental. She didn’t pay attention to the red tape that we were so violently awakened with about the waiting period that is needed for funds to be available. 2 years is what is needed for the policy to become active and she had it for just 7 months. She thought she was setting us up not to have to worry about her funeral wishes or life after her death. My reality right now is that I have my whole heart and soul, my mother in a funeral home and we cannot proceed with any type of burial plans. Grief is a long and hard battle. One Ive been battling for years. Huge pieces of my heart have been ripped open. And my final angel from heaven and no longer here with me. How do I go on from here? How do I make sure I can keep my family in a safe place to live and that my kids won’t ever know what it is to be hungry going forward. How can I live knowing that the woman who sacrificed herself and gave me everything cannot be laid to rest. My plate is more than full. My mind is uneasy and restless from constantly worrying about losing someone I love. I am tired and my whole body ached from years of anticipating my mother no longer being here. And so I ask that if you find it in your heart and are willing to help me lay my mother to rest, even in the simplest form of cremation to please do so. My mother touched so many lives and Influenced so many people in her 62 years.