The end of 2007 and most of 2008 was the most testing time of my life. On January 3, 2008, I lost my mom to a 2 1/2 year battle to non-smoking related lung cancer. She was my mom and my best friend. I think of her nearly every day, some days it feels like she's still here with me. I am still dealing with her death; it is a loss, I've been told, that doesn't go away easily, but that softens as time passes. It will be two years in January and I still remember the day clearly.

In an effort to heal myself as well as help others who are living or have lived with lung cancer, I partnered with Uniting Against Lung Cancer to bring an event to South Florida that I thought would symbolize the breath we each require to live everyday: Kites for a Cure. The beauty of the event is that each participant can decorate the kite they get with their $25.00 donation, honoring someone who is living with or who has passed from lung cancer. They can then fly these kites, surrounded by family and friends doing the same, all joining in a celebration of life and in the effort to find a cure for lung cancer.

I named our group Lily's Light. My mom was my light; she guided me, made me laugh, picked me up when I was down, loved me, cared for me, made me who I am today. I still look to her for her guidance and direction, and I still cry when I think of how she's not with me physically. I am doing this for her, for me, for my family, and for everyone who knows what this disease is, what this disease brings to your home. Our aim is to let others know they are not alone in this fight.

Please check out the website and read the write-up I did on my mom: www.lilyslight.kintera.org.

I love her and miss her everyday, but I know she is with me in my heart, guiding me.

I miss you, mami!