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When my husband and I married we lived in a duplex in a nice little town.

We met some nice neighbors and settled in to a nice friendly relationship with a family on the next street. They had six children ranging from preteen to a toddler in diapers named Teresa.

We watched her grow and soon we were expecting our own baby. She would come over and help me get ready for the new baby.Her life was not that great at home. She had a drunk for a dad and he became abusive at times.

Teresa would come over and spend the night when he got tanked. He seemed to pick on her more so than the other children. She would bring her pillow and toothbrush and a change of clothes and would just seem so happy to be with us.

I gave birth to our son and Teresa fell in love with him, she was with us more and more and I was teaching her how to take care of babies and cook.Our son looked to her like a big sister and they spent alot of time bonding.She was becoming like a daughter to me and I loved her with all my heart.Her mom understood the bond and never said a word about it. She knew Teresa was safe with us. My mother lived with us and she became Teresa's Nana too.Life went on. I was having a huge Halloween party for all the kids in the neighborhood.Teresa wasn't feeling well having stomach problems.She had a test done and it showed a mass on her kidney. Her age 14.

She came late to the party but when she arrived she was a sight to behold....almost angelic...as a princess. That night will be played over and over in my head until my demise.

What happened after that night was all downhill.

As it turned out our Teresa was diagnosed with a very rare form of kidney cancer.

They tried everything to save her...all kinds of chemo,stem cell replacement, you name it, it was tried.

She knew she was going to die and was not afraid. I learned more from that brave little girl than I have from anyone in my life.

She wanted to break the news to our son about her death. She took him into his room and I could her him cry, She once gave him a stuffed dog that he named Sprockets.

She told him that she would not be here to talk to him but when he felt bad and was missing her that all he had to do was talk to Sprockets and she would be able to hear him.

She made him understand, something I thank her for.

3 weeks befor she passed she asked me to please do her the honor of being her God Mother as she was going to be baptized into the Catholic Church.

I asked her if that honor shouldn't go to one of her sisters or one of her aunts, she said you have been a Mom to me for many years and it is you that I want.

So I became her God Mother ...and was Honored.

About a week or so later her condition worsened.

We watched as our precious Tereas slipped away from us.

This child even drew and made her own eulogy cards.

She loved frogs and angels so she drew a frog angel sitting on a cloud with wings and a halo.

I have had this airbrushed on my leather motorcycle vest. And one day hope to have the guts to have it tattooed on my arm.

We had mathing necklaces... half hearts I have mine and wear it almost every day. She was laid to rest with hers.

To this day I still see my son with Sprockets on his lap. He was 7 when she died. Now 18

I will never forget that wonderful little girl or what she taught us all.

I just wanted to share my memories of Teresa with all my Growing Bolder friends.

Thanks for letting me share.

    Sassy