Claire Almogela

Mom, these past 2-3 years have been an emotional roller coaster. These past 5-6 months have felt like the most intense stretch of it: that climb to the peak, the sudden fall, all those loops and swirls that leave us gripping the bars and trying to breathe. These past 4 weeks have felt like the very end of that ride — when we finally step off, knees shaky, vision blurred, and we feel that sudden urge to find a fence, lean over it, and barf over all the flowers.

We’re anxious for what’s to come. We know you are now on your way to join Alyssa, Lola, Uncle Narding, and all the angels we thank God for everyday up in Heaven. That reality hurts, yet it also brings us peace because we know you will finally be at rest. And we’re grateful, truly grateful, for the strong support system you built for us full of loved ones who have been willing to hold our barf bags whenever we can’t do so ourselves.

Today, we can catch our breath after the ride as we recognize, slowly but clearly, that after your 40th day, you will fully be by our sides once again — maybe not in the same way, but possibly even stronger. Thank you, mom, for shaping us into the human beings we are today. We love and will miss you dearly… until we meet again.

— Jared Matthew & Nathan Cole