9 years.

My mother passed away when I was eleven. It was 9 years ago, on her birthday. I can replay that day exactly how it happened.

It's new years eve, my mothers birthday. We wake up tell he happy birthday, that we love her, etc. My father informs us that we will be going over to our friends house to hang out for the day. Of course no arguments came from us. We spend all day baking, making jewelry, dressing up, four wheel riding, just being kids. :) we arrive home and there's quite a few cars in our driveway. We walk inside my mothers not in the living room. We walk into our bedroom and sit on my bed where the pastors of the church we had been attending met us. They explained that my mother had died that day. Uncontrollably we began sobbing asking why, wanting to say goodbye, and oh how confusion filled the room. After we semi got ourselves under control we walked into the living room and starred out of the window for hours with questions running through our heads.

Come to find out. The pastors lead her in a prayer of repentance, and the doctors did a procedure known as "assisted suicide" of a lethal injection. The woman that I loved so dearly was in so much pain, not all physical, it pained her for us to see her like this, not herself.

Cancer takes a tole on you and your family. It has changed us 100%.
As I finish this tears fill my eyes. I know I who I am and I know I'm as strong as I am because of her. And I thank God for allowing the time I had with her.