In Loving Memory of

Rhonda Lee Michaels (Mom)

I lost my mom on July 26, 2006. I never even knew your heart was damaged. I never knew you were sick. I don't even know if you knew. But if you did, you would never have told me. You wouldn't have wanted me to worry. And I would have. I would have said, "Mom, you should go see the doctor if your chest hurts." But we never got the chance to have that conversation. You would have said, "Oh, Tory, don't worry about me. I'm tough." Maybe I could have saved you. Maybe I could have done something. I don't understand how this happened so suddenly. One minute we were laughing on the phone. The next minute my world came crashing down. It is killing me inside. You were never overweight, always active. But how could you have had sudden cardiac death? I mean what is that? Not a heart attack. Not a stroke. Did you feel pain? I hope not. That is what gets me through each night. Believing you had no pain. I wish I could change things. I wish I could turn back time. I know you are no longer in pain. I know you are sitting on a cloud, sipping a cup of coffee with Dale Earnhardt talking his ear off. But please don't forget to watch over me. Chasz tries to understand, but when I start crying out of nowhere, he doesn't really get it. No one does. But I know you are in a better place. And someday, when I am old and grey, we will meet again. Until then. I miss you every single minute. I love you, mom.

Always and forever, Tory