MY MOTHER WAS TRULY A WONDERFUL PERSON. SHE WAS LOVED BY ALL AND QUITE INSPIRING TO MANY OF US. SHE FOUGHT A GRUELING BATTLE WITH CANCER FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND HER COURAGE, STRENGTH, AND PERSEVERANCE IN THAT STRUGGLE WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. ALTHOUGH DEEPLY SADDENED BY THE LOSS OF HER PRESENCE IN MY LIFE, I AM GLAD THAT HER PAIN IS OVER. AS IMPRESSIVE AS HER BATTLE WITH CANCER WAS, IT PERHAPS WAS NOT THE MOST PAINFUL, NOR THE LONGEST, OR THE TOUGHEST BATTLE THAT SHE FOUGHT. SHE FOUGHT FOR 20 YEARS TO EXTRACT ME FROM A LIFESTYLE OF DRUG ADDICTION, A LIFESTYLE THAT DESTROYED HER AND OTHER MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY MENTALLY, EMOTIONALLY, FINANCIALLY AND PHYSICALLY. I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE IN HER LIFE RAVAGED BY DRUGS AND ALCOHOL. THE FACT IS THAT IT WAS AN ISSUE WHICH REAKED HAVOC ON OUR FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS. TIRED OF THE CONSEQUENCES WHICH COME WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE, PERHAPS THE HARDEST THING THAT I HAVE EVER HAD TO DO IN MY LIFE WAS WALK AWAY FROM HER HOSPITAL BEDSIDE SHORTLY AFTER SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. I WALKED AWAY WITH THE INTENTIONS OF NEVER RETURNING, NEVER SEEING HER OR TALKING WITH HER AGAIN. WE ALL KNEW THAT I HAD TO GO AWAY VOLUNTARILY OR I WOULD EITHER DIE A TRAGIC DEATH OR BE PUT AWAY INVOLUNTARILY FOR LIFE. MY DEPARTURE WAS HARD ON US ALL. FORTUNATELY IT PROVED TO BE A WISE DECISION AND TODAY I HAVE A FAMILY, PERSONAL BUSINESS, HOME AND MOST IMPORTANTLY I AM ABLE TO FACE AND PARTICIPATE IN HER PASSING ON TO HER NEW LIFE. AND FOR THAT I AM TRULY GRATEFUL. THANK YOU, MOM, FOR ALL YOU DID FOR ME. THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN ME. THANK YOU FOR GIVING AND RISKING ALL YOU HAD, EVEN YOUR OWN SAFETY, TO SAVE ME FROM MYSELF. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME LIFE IN MORE WAYS AND AT MORE TIMES THAN JUST AT BIRTH. YOU SEE MY MOTHER KNEW THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOUGH LOVE. THERE IS ONLY LOVE AND LOVE ENDURES ALL. MOTHER, THANK YOU FOR PERSONALLY SHOWING ME THE MEANING OF THE WORDS CHARITY, SELFLESSNESS, DEVOTION, PERSEVERANCE, HOPE, FAITH, SACRIFICE….THANK YOU FOR TEACHING ME LOVE. I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU AND BE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING ME TO MARICELA AND GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THIS BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRL, ARSILIA ISABEL, INTO THE WORLD. I KNOW THAT YOUR SPIRIT WILL BE WITH HER AND EVERYDAY SHE IS A WONDERFUL REMEMBRANCE OF ALL THAT WAS SPECIAL ABOUT YOU. YOU WILL BE DEARLY MISSED MY DARLING MOTHER AND LOVED ALWAYS. MAY YOU REST IN ETERNAL PEACE. YOUR SON, GLENN

DONATIONS MAY BE MADE TO THE ARSI CROFT MEMORIAL FUND BY CONTACTING RAYMOND CROFT AT panamaguy@comcast.net. DONATIONS WILL BE USED TO HELP FAMILIES WHO HAVE SUFFERED FROM DRUG ABUSE.

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