Mom's Diary

"A slightly uneven but often powerful remembrance of a loved one." ---Kirkus ReviewsTwenty-three years after receiving his mom's diary, the author opens its pages and begins to explore how she felt battling a terminal disease. What starts as a story about his mom and her struggles evolves into a deep exploration of the author's guilt, sadness, and lingering impacts that her death had on his life.Diagnosed with breast cancer at age 46, the author's mom embarks down a path no one wants to endure. For seven years, she fought to survive. Her journal chronicles her fight, but it also examines her dependency on pain medications, the suffering she endured, and the rationale she developed for staying alive. The diary is raw, and the emotions are impactful. The author reads and responds to the diary entries for the first time while writing the book, internalizing realities that he didn't know or hid from his consciousness.The author's journey gains momentum as he begins to unravel his complex feelings and shares his vulnerabilities. His awareness that he couldn't fix this and his acceptance that he was powerless to prevent his mom's death drive his willingness to revise his view of his actions and how he wants to live his life. The message is profound, and even though it is based on tragedy, the reader is left with hope.