Reprinted from MariaShriver.com, March 18, 2014, by Meryl Ain
My mother would have turned 93 this year. She died after a brief illness in November 2006. Although I knew she had lived a long life, I was bereft. There is never enough time with a loved one.
Although I was happily married with three grown sons, a daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter, I confess I didn’t know how I was going to go on without my mom.
I was told it would get better after a year and that I needed closure. I began asking friends how to achieve it, but quickly realized there is no closure with those we love deeply; they are in our lives and in our hearts forever.
I learned that some people remember loved ones through small acts, such as looking at photos and making their favorite recipes. Others do big things to carry on the legacies and values of their loved ones, such as establishing foundations.