January 8 th . One year ago. It has been one year since my mom finally let go and left the earth. This past year has been one of the hardest of my life. Her death was the catalyst for unimaginable change. Two weeks before she passed away, the words Pancreatic Cancer were first uttered. There are few other words that will suck the breath and hope out of a room. It seemed so cruel, unfair, and unbelievable. She had emerged from years lived with chronic illnesses, genetic mysteries, freak medical accidents victorious. Yet, this was a diagnosis no one could defeat. Her body knew it. She knew it. And she started shutting down. This side of the journey was traumatic. · - For a family that had always had hope (and sometimes only hope) our hope was stolen. · - The flippancy of some of the doctors and medical staff still stings. · - The assumptions of the staff because of my mother’s appearance still ...