My Mommom

My Poppop & Mommom
(this was taken July, 1981)

Mommom's great grand daughters


Gabriella & Miranda


Me & My Mommom

I have lived with my Mommom on & off for 18 years. I am her third grandchild & My son John was her first great grand child. She is my father's mother. She is very special to me and now we are all sad because she is not well. She is suffering from Alzheimer's and she in the final stages of it. She is in a nursing home now and it is really hard seeing her. She doesn't even remember me, (and she practically raised me & she gave me away at my wedding). She loves Mark and was so happy that I found a man that loves me & will take care of me & our kids. She use to worry about me because I was a single mother and was struggling to get by until I met Mark. I would always tell I will be alright Mommom, don't you worry. And she would say " Debbie, I can't help but worry". She is the nicest person and let me tell you she loved to talk & have company over. Every time we would go & visit she would make us feel bad for leaving and we would be there for a few hours....We would tell her we have to go & she would say "Already, you just here". I would tell her we will come back & visit but she didn't want to hear that. She loved having company to visit. I really miss how she use to be and I feel bad for know that is going through this. My Aunt Rosa took care of her for the last five years or so. Thank goodness for her & her husband Anthony. He built an addition on the house for her so she wouldn't be alone. Thank goodness for them. It would be awful if she had to through this alone.
I wish I could take this away from her or from anyone for that matter. I pray that she will be in peace and not in pain. We saw her this pass Sunday and that was the hardest thing to do. She has aged so much and looked helpless. She would take our hand & kiss it and just hold it. She would even cry at times. I think she knows that she is dying. We kept telling her that the doctors will take of you, just rest now. We also told her that we all loved her. She use tell me I was very special to her, although she loved all her grandchildren...she was attached to me as I was with her. I really miss the way she was. Just those little things you might shake off, they are what I cherished. She would tell me stories about her and Poppop and how they met and all the family issues. She & my Aunt Rosa would start baking for Thanksgiving & Christmas in October. We would have so many Cake's, pies, cookies & candy. Her pecan pies & pecan turtles were the best. I have not had any likes hers ever. Nothing compared to hers. She loved pecans, she would just shell them and enjoy! She would send treats home with all of us from the holiday dinners. We all used to celebrate Christmas at her house on Christmas Eve, and everyone would be there...her three children, spouses and all the grandchildren. She stopped doing that about 10 years ago, so my sister Sherry & I take turns. We call it the "The O'Neal Tradition". My Mommom loved to crochet. She has made many Afghans for people. I have one from her that she gave me when I was 12 years old and she made one for my son as well. She hasn't crocheted in many years b/c of her arthritis in her hands. I miss her so much even though she is still with us. I feel so bad for her that is even going through this. Her mind is going and will talk about things that happened before I was born. She doesn't usually remember something that happened a minute ago. She gets agitated alot. She will say things that are off the wall and we try to tell her its ok, but you know it;s not ok. Iam not prepared to handle it when does pass, I don't think anyone is really. I wish I could take this away for her so she isn't suffering.
Lord help her...help her get through this. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!

Dear Mommom,

Thank you for all the love you have given to me.. You made me the person that I am today. You taught me to be kind and to accept others for who they are. You taught me to work hard for what I wanted achieve in life. You showed me how to be a good mother & wife. You let me be me and love me for me...You supported me and took me & my son in when we had no where to go. You gave me hope when I didn't think there were any. Not because you had to but because you wanted too, because you love me! Thank you with every thing I am. I know in my heart. when it is time for you to go to the heavens, you will be reunited with Poppop and be at peace. I love you more than you'll ever know.

Love Always & Forever,

Debbie