The end of July is always a tough time period for me. As July 29th edges closer, I start to really think about my mom. Today marks 16 years since my mom passed away. In 2005 my mom lost her battle with cancer. Her body just couldn't sustain the fight anymore and on July 29th, she quietly passed away.
That was a quite a difficult time for me. I had made plans to return to college that fall to complete my associate's degree. I had started working at a new school few years earlier, so I was still in the getting to know everyone phase (which can be quite difficult for me). That June Mom had retired from teaching 36 years, so she was looking forward to enjoying her well earned and well planned for retirement.
Unfortunately, her health really took a turn for the worse at the end of June and the beginning of July. In order to accommodate her rapidly failing health, thanks to the cancer spreading to her spine, her oncologist order her home hospice. A few short weeks later, I got the phone call from my dad that I was dreading to get: Mom passed away.
This is her obituary that was ran in the San Bernardino County Sun newspaper.
MARGARET ELIZABETH SLIDER, 59, a resident of Redlands, CA, for 11 years, passed away on July 29, 2005, in Redlands, CA. She was born on November 27, 1945 in Spanish Fork, UT. She was a Kindergarten Teacher at Lincoln Elementary School (Colton, CA). She was a graduate of Cal State San Bernardino receiving Bachelor and Master degrees.
On this day every year, I like to look back at the person she was and the influence she had on me.
Looking back at Mom and the role she played as a parent, one thing that I will never forget about her was undying support of her children's athletic endeavors. Mom always supported us by making sure we got to practices and meets/games, by being active with the organization/team, and cheering you own when you were out there. As my brother and I got to high school, mom couldn't attend most of the high school meets and games, but she tried her best to catch as many as she could.
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| The woman without the hat was my mom, probably at a swim club meet. That is me on the right, looking like I was getting to leave for a post swim meet bike ride. |
I thought I'd take this moment to share a memory. Back in February 2012, I was getting into Twitter and I was following Heather Petri. Heather played on the womens' water polo for Team USA and was a member of their medal wins in the 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympics. She earned one gold, two silver, and one bronze Olympic medals.
Heather posted to her Twitter account that she wanted names from her followers of women who beat cancer or lost the battle to cancer, and who played a part in her Twitter followers lives, especially with regard to athletics, especially water polo. I saw that tweet and immediately sent her my mom's name: Margaret Slider. Heather then wrote all of the names that people shared with her on the swim cap she wears underneath her game cap. She then wore that cap during a Team USA game. This was her way of honoring these ladies who's lives were affected by cancer.
Heather tweeted the following along with a photograph of the cap. On this side, you can clearly see my mom's name.
Side 2- #pink cap from #breastcancerawareness game! pic.twitter.com/2LEVQv9a
— Heather Petri (@PeteIsAGirl) February 19, 2012
It was quite an emotional moment for me to see my mom's name on that cap, knowing that a Team USA womens' water polo wore that cap in a game. I guess part of the emotion of that moment was that my mom was very much a classical feminist. She firmly believed that any woman should have the same opportunities to do things that men do. She would have been so proud to have seen this, as womens' water polo was a recent development of that sport; when I played in high school there was no such thing as a girls' water polo team.
It was such a great way to honor her memory. She was a great lady and she will be missed. Love you Mom.
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