My Beloved Mother, Gloria Dumas

My beloved mother, Gloria Dumas

Mother is gone yet I thank her daily for molding me into the woman I am today. Growing up in a large Catholic family there were many
lessons to learn. My mother was stern and quite the disciplinarian; however,
she was also loving and supportive. She was generous to a fault and having nine children, rarely had time for herself. But that
did not stop her from helping extended family, friends, and even strangers.

My journey in life has been filled with many blessings. I live a rich life beyond measure.
When I think of conversations I had with my mother as a teenager and young adult –they are filled with advice from an incredibly wise
woman. My mother encouraged me to live life on my terms. The very essence of her being taught me to be self-sufficient, an
independent thinker, and most of all – not to seek validation from others. I am truly my mother’s daughter.

Many years after her death, while on a trip to Paris with a cousin. We were drinking wine at asidewalk café, watching passersby. I looked up
and my sweet cousin had tears in her eyes. I could not imagine why she was in such a state we were in Paris, after all. She shared a story
about her relationship with my mother that I never knew. Despite knowing how giving and loving my mother was –it made me pause and reflect
on my relationship with her and how fortunate I was to have a loving mother. I am forever grateful for my mother because she shaped the
woman I am today. I live my truth and it is much thanks to my dear mother.

– Marcia Dumas

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