“Hello, dear,” my mom would say as she answered the phone to my call in her subtle Southern drawl.

My mom was never the loudest in the room. She was never the one who had to have the last word or even the first; she just… was. Present, thoughtful, loving. She remembered every birthday and anniversary and donated to many animal rescue organizations (she loved animals, especially dogs).

While she was subtle in her movements, she was brave with them too. Brave in the way that she made a cross-country move on her own from her home in Virginia to California (which led her to meet Dad on a city bus just a few months later); brave in the way that she remained firm in her convictions throughout her life without faltering; brave in the way that she loved her family as much as anyone possibly could. How blessed I feel to have had so much time with this remarkable woman.

My heart aches knowing I won’t again hear her steady and strong voice on this Earth. My heart aches knowing that she won’t ever meet any more of her great-grandchildren; that we’ll never again receive a card inscribed with her loving message. My heart aches knowing that my cheeks will never again feel her kiss goodbye after a great visit.

How wonderful it is, though, to have had the privilege of getting to know and love this woman who lived to 92 years of age and built a legacy many of us can only dream of. One marriage, three children, seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and a whole lot of love surrounding it all was only a part of all the wonderful things she built.

Knowing that she’s in Heaven with our relentlessly faithful God and without pain, reunited with her late husband, enjoying an eternity of unfathomable joy, is enough. Like her, it is more than enough.

So while I’ll never hear “Alright, dear, thanks for calling” again, how grateful I am to have had someone so incredible to miss.

Rest in peace, my sweet Mom. Until we meet again.