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Terrence Howard

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In Memory of Anita Williams, Mom

Posted: 5/7/10

When I'm asked what I remember most about my mother--I always find that my answer stays the same. She cared about people from the bottom of her heart and always put others first. Her selflessness was at the core of who she was. She was the kindest person I've ever met, with a genuine concern and regard for the well being of others.

When my mother was diagnosed with cancer, she didn't tell me or the rest of our family and friends. She played down her condition so as not to worry us, but in turn, we found out at a point in which there was nothing we could do for her. It was terminal and we were left helpless, hopeless and completely devastated at what was ahead--our future without her as she was being robbed from us by this thief of a disease. She was the cornerstone of our family, the person who meant the most to all of us, and soon she would no longer be there guiding and championing us as our lives unfolded. I wasn't sure how I was going to live in the world after she was gone. I was guilt-ridden over not having been able to do something more, over not having been able to save my mother.

Seeing my mother die, experiencing the stages of cancer that drained her of life, made me come face to face with my own mortality. And so I knew I needed to continue experiencing life for everything that it was and finding its beauty in my own children. My mother believed every day should be seized and life was provided to us to be lived to its fullest. She loved being able to say, "I did that," or "I've been there." She was never shy in experiencing new things.

As time passed after my mother's death, I realized the best way to honor her life was to live my life the way my mother had raised me. My mother taught me to live in search of what's true, to make others feel good about themselves, to be silly and serious when appropriate, to smile as much as possible, and have a clean conscience. I had to live my own life to its fullest, even if she was not longer in this world.

My mother was a part of every aspect of my life, and she was the person I most revered in this world. I miss her every day, but know she is with me in everything that I do. This mother's day, I hope we all take a moment to pause and reflect on how much our mothers mean to us and show them our appreciation in the best way we know how. As for me, Mother's Day is now bittersweet as I reflect on life when my mother was here and think of the man I've become because of her. Thank you mom--I miss you.

One out of every three women is affected by cancer. Today we stand up in memory of all those moms we've lost, and all those moms who are in the fight against this vicious disease. Launch a star in memory of someone you love at su2c.org.

 
When I'm asked what I remember most about my mother--I always find that my answer stays the same. She cared about people from the bottom of her heart and always put others first. Her selflessness was ...
When I'm asked what I remember most about my mother--I always find that my answer stays the same. She cared about people from the bottom of her heart and always put others first. Her selflessness was ...
 
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08:37 AM on 05/10/2010
I lost both of my parents in a span of 8 months. The most recent loss was my mother last week. When my father passed, he was surrounded by his family and we watched him slip peacefully from us. When my mother passed, no one was there and I received a phone call. It was devastatin­g. She suffered from Alzheimer'­s and didn't even know her husband had passed away. I realize now that we are given a finite amount of time here on earth and it is up to us to make the best of it. If nothing else good comes from the loss of my parents, it is that lesson learned. I have a 12 year old and plan to make the best of every moment I have with her. That is my tribute to my parents. I love and miss them both.
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thetalkdiva
03:10 AM on 05/10/2010
Ms. Williams was a remarkable woman. I never met her but I actually wrote the obituary on her. It's always heartbreak­ing to talk to friends and family members right after they've lost a loved one and I felt this heartbreak even more because I'd met Mr. Howard briefly during a press junket and had also read how close he was to his mother. I've lost two mothers, the one who birthed me and the one who raised me. It's never easy when there's no longer anyone to call "mother." I pray that God blesses and comforts all those whose mothers have passed on.
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RusStyles
12:02 AM on 05/10/2010
Condolence­s to you--Terre­nce--and all the others here who lost their mom. I lost my mom a few months ago, and the pain is still raw. I anticipate­d that today would be rough, so I stayed busy. There are really no words to adequately describe the loss...The last year of her life...You know, that slow, debilitati­ng loss of independen­ce was the most emotionall­y devastatin­g aspect...W­atching her mind go. The inability to express her thoughts, desires, or go to the bathroom..­.The small things we take for granted when we can do them.

I'm certainly more motivated than ever to help more people improve their health and fitness--o­ur most vital asset. Peace....
01:27 PM on 05/09/2010
My mom died 24 yrs ago and my minds eye can still bring up a clear picture of her face. The sadness has eased up but it's still there. As I remember all the goodness in her I'm taken aback as I watch my wife of thirty yrs display the acts of a mother. I was lucky to have my mom and now I smile as I enjoy the luck my kids were given by the good Lord.
12:15 PM on 05/09/2010
I wish my mother was dying from cancer. She has frontotemp­oral dementia (it is Alzheimer'­s disease x10 that affects people in their 40's and 50's) . At this point I am positive it is the cruelest disease know to man. I easily say that after watching an uncle succumb to ALS.

She is 55 and I am 30. Thankfully she is in the final stages so that hopefully our 5 year nightmare will come to an end soon.
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booki
10:42 AM on 05/09/2010
i am w/u brother, your love is bringing the same tears to my eyes.
i am sure your mom is up there, feeling a sense of pride, that u have her eternal love in your heart, and have the ability to share it. it is a beautiful thing . thank you for sharing.
and helping me , i miss my beautiful mother too....eve­ryday of my life.
here's to our moms! love sophie
10:17 AM on 05/09/2010
So sorry for your loss.
10:16 AM on 05/09/2010
Only on the HP front page would I find a touching Mother's Day article sandwiched between "Porn Star Alleges Affair with Mel Gibson" and "TSA Screener Attacks Colleagues After Being Teased Over Penis Size". Happy Mother's Day, HP.
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AlaskanWannaB
Post and act. Get out the vote! Obama 2012
09:18 AM on 05/09/2010
Thanks for sharing this touching tribute to your Mom, Terrence.

I have cancer, too. Multiple myeloma. I was diagnosed in January 2008. My Mom is my rock, too, and have given me a great example to live by. Unfortunat­ely, my Mom is not as strong as I would like her to be when it comes to dealing with illness with respect to those she love. My Dad died on cancer in 2006 and my mother almost perished alongside him from the anguish. Fortunatel­y, we were able to bring her back from the brink of severe depression via medical assistance and love. As a result of that incident, my brothers and sisters supported my decision not to reveal my illness to my Mom. It did not take much convincing because we all saw what devastatio­n my father's illness brought to her life.

Despite all, I celebrate my Mom for making me the strong and vibrant woman I am today. She instilled a lot of confidence in me. I am still fighting the cancer, but people are amazed at my strength and attitude. I thank her each day for what she has given me.

May all you Moms out there have a wonderful mother's day. You are the rock of the world.
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rotorhead1871
who are you jivin' with that cosmic debris?...
01:31 AM on 05/09/2010
great article, I miss my mom. Happy Mothers day to all moms, hoist one for all of them..

love you moms......
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Neophile
01:13 AM on 05/09/2010
I lost my mother to cancer a decade ago when I was 30. She was just 50. I miss her a lot every day and a little bit more each mothers day. She was a wonderful and amazing woman who taught me to love everyone. She was my father's companion since they were 13 and 14. As is the case in many lifelong relationsh­ips, my father passed away soon after she did, three years later at 55 of a heart attack.

I love you mom (and dad).
12:53 AM on 05/09/2010
I lost my mother to cancer 6 months after her initial diagnosis. I held my mother as she took her last breath. After watching cancer ravage her body and mind for months, I let go of my best friend. In the truest example of the circle of life, I gave birth to my daughter the very next day. Life has been on autopilot since then. Like Mr. Howard's Mother, my Mom also hid the severity of her prognosis from everyone in an attempt to shelter us from the truth. Although my head knows why she did this, my heart continues to break in all those moments where I truly believed we had more time. We did not. It seems as if I miss her more each day, and I wonder when life will ever return to any semblance of normal. It has been 8 months, and I want to get to the point, honestly, where I understand that none of us is guaranteed a moment here on Earth, to not dwell on the loss, but to see how truly blessed I was to have a mother for 30 years. Thank you Mr. Howard for your testimony which is a ray of hope to me in these unchartere­d waters.
12:48 AM on 05/09/2010
I lost my mom to early onset Alzheimers­...she was only 69 and I in my early 30's. I envy anyone who had their mother to know as an adult...I was in my early 20's when she was diagnosed. I miss her every Mother's day and have for 40 of them. It is the one day of the year that I feel her loss the because I am around too many people who still have theirs right there beside them at church and in restaurant­s and at the botanical gardens and everywhere it seems and it seems to multiply the feelings of loss. But then I remember that my own mom lost hers when she was a mere child and count my blessings that she met her goal of watching her daughters graduate from college and some have children. How hard Mother's Day must have been for her and how much she adored the attention on the special day we honored her.
12:35 AM on 05/09/2010
My mother died six years ago, two days after Mother's Day. It seems like only yesterday. She fought a hard battle with an aggressive cancer. It was my privilege, with my sister, to take care of her during her treatments and as it robbed her the ability to walk. She was brave to the end. What always stood out to me was when we were so involved with her care as she became more incapacita­ted and fought for the best care, a doctor who incurred our wrath one day on a major mistake on medicine, compliment­ed us and told us that we wouldn't believe how many adult children abandon their elderly parents during this time and aren't involved when they really need it. It was exhausting and time consuming, but for all that she did for us, I wouldn't have had it any other way.
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Mort
Once I thought I was wrong, but I was mistaken.
11:36 PM on 05/08/2010
I lost my mom to cancer a few years ago. Your tribute brought back not only what we both experience­d when our mothers passed, but gave me a reminder to do as you have done and live up to what she taught me to be.

Beautiful post. God bless you. Your mother must be very proud!