Our mother had the loving patience of her father, the strength of her mother

and the intelligence of both combined. She was unwavering and yet flexible,

intelligent and intuitive, and above all, she conducted herself

with the highest integrity in all that she did.

Her parents, Jane and Lou, were deeply in love and committed to one another to the end. Tragically, Grandma Walton was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in her 60s and passed away not long after. Heartbroken, Grandpa Walton passed away just 7 months later. In all truth, our family was never the same again. Though she put on a brave face, my mother - who was pregnant with my younger brother Mark Saltzburg at the time - grieved the loss throughout her life. She always kept their memory alive through storytelling, her life principles and examples, memorials, donations and flowers.

Her Young Marriage Quickly Turned Sour -

She Worked in Education and Continued to Work on

Her Master's Degree While Raising My Brother Chris and I Alone

She Was Proud of All of Us We Grew Up

As devoted mother, our mom always made sure to celebrate each of our unique accomplishments and strove to be supportive. One of her favorite saying was, "Children are a gift from God. You have 18 years to do your best to raise them, then you have to let them go and make their own decisions in life."  She told me that trust was the foundation of any good relationship, and she trusted our father Michael implicitly. She frequently helped mentor young women in the family, extended family and community, encouraging them both in the careers and families. In many ways, she was the epicenter of a large community of people's lives.

She Was SO Excited to Start Enjoying Grandchildren

Soon after I got married, I fell pregnant and suffered nearly daily migraines as a result of my pregnancy. My ex-husband was frequently working long distance, so I moved back in with my parents during the pregnancy at age 31. After spending several years living far away in Hawaii, it was an amazing opportunity for my mom and I to reconnect as adults and build a totally different relationship - much more of a friendship. She helped me during the difficult pregnancy and was the one who took me to the hospital while I went into labor. Amazingly, Radhika was born on the same birthday as her grandfather Michael (Pop-Pop.) As I recovered from an emergency c-section, I couldn't have been more thankful to have her help and support, which allowed me to focus on taking care of my newborn and recovering from childbirth.

We genuinely enjoyed living together, and would spend the evenings with the dogs, a fire, my mom needle-pointing, and catching up about our days. During my pregnancy, together she and I decided to adopt a stray collie that a friend of hers had found in the woods. "Rocky" became such a wonderful part of her life and she adored him. Like my mom, Rocky suffered many near-death accidents but somehow always came out on top. They had a lot in common. :)

She Was Healthy & Happy Up Until the Last Months of Her Tragic Illness

As She Faced Death, She Was Truly an Example of Faith & Grace

My mother never was afraid to talk about death. Having nearly died twice already, she had made peace with leaving this world. She told me that when she had nearly died many years before, she had experienced that would be going to a beautiful place someday, but that it wasn't her time yet. She used to say ALL the time, "When I die, I'll be ready for God to take me. I've lived a good life, I've raised four wonderful children, and I've been grateful for every single day."

When a simple outpatient procedure to remove a skin cancer turned into what was ultimately a fatal health crisis, we were all shocked. She had been in amazing health, enjoying her grandchildren, walking 4 miles daily, spending time with friends and family and traveling regularly. She quickly knew it was serious and asked for an ambulance. This was our last family gathering, while we thought she was safely recovering from the outpatient procedure and had no idea that she was days away from fighting for her life.

My Personal Tribute to Her: Be Grateful for Every Single Day

And Hold Your Loved Ones Close

In the months after my mother's death, I was forced to confront so many things. I was inspired by how she died and refused to let myself wallow in grief, as I know she would not have wanted that. I used the months after she died to reflect on my own life and to ask myself if I also was living according to my deepest values. I decided to scale back my work at that time and spend more time with my children, to be present with them and really tune in. I focused on helping my father and continuing to visit with my children and try to continue our family the way our mother would have wanted. In the end, I feel her presence every single day by holding true to the values, long with her love and sacrifice, that she embedded in me. I know how proud she would be of all her grandchildren and that she would be jumping up and down (literally) celebrating each and every accomplishment.

Our Family Will Never Be the Same Without Her Presence

While we will always remember her love and guidance, the truth is our lives and family will never be the same in her absence. In my heart, I know the best way she would want us to honor her life and memory for our family to remain true to one another, always stay together and be humble and compromise. So I strive to do that every day.