"My mother, Bernice, walked on last month. Although it was not unexpected -- she was 86 and in declining health -- her death continues to amplify the poignancy of her life and its impact upon me.

My mother was not an easy person to love. She was quick-tempered and harsh, often unmindful of the impact her words had upon us.

The more I learn about her and her history, I think I wasted far too many years wallowing in my own hurt and anger over what she couldn’t give me. I am grateful, however, for the gift of forgiveness and the light it has shed on the wonders of this tiny fierce woman."

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Mary Annette Pember: Child of Love (The Daily Yonder 11/1)