A Beautiful Diamond in the Making

The word "Diamond" comes from the greek word "Adamas", which means indestructible. My mother, Greek in ethnicity, was always an indestructible, truly multi-faceted person - like a diamond.

She was an entrepreneur, a musician, a caregiver, an advisor, a cheerleader, a medic (with seven children - who CAN'T be?), a believer, moldable, flexible, a disciplinarian, a listener, a leader, a comic, a teacher, and just a beautiful spirit. She was full of love and life and forgiveness.

She spent nearly seventy years being pressed and forged and molded into the incredible person that she was. She beat divorce and raising five children on her own in a tiny town in upstate New York in the 1960's. She remarried into two more children and a husband who tended to make very good use of her generosity and kindness. She started newspapers, placque businesses, bands, graphics businesses, charter bus companies, gambling groups, and more . . . and they were all successful. Each one was created by and given life to by a woman with sheer grit and determination to . . . not be rich . . . but have richness of life.

She buried two husbands and married a third. She saw her children marry, divorce, and have children, and those grandchildren were nothing short of sheer ecstasy for her. It seemed the expansion of her family had the same effect upon her heart. It merely grew to include and envelope everyone around her. Friends were never "just friends," they were family with an eternal offer of coming over for coffee.

Although she lost her final life battle with complications of cancer and more; she fought harder than I can ever imagine. She had more strength in her pinky than most folks know in a lifetime. She left a gaping hole in many lives, but I am certain she'd be angry if we acknowledged it. She would want us to remember that strength; that perseverance; that unending supply of forgiveness and faith, that created the core of her being. She'd want us to dance, to sing, to laugh, to love, to all be family ~ because that's what we are.

She was, as any diamond, created by the pressures of the outside world and came out brilliant. And, of all the facets that created Francine Loretta Botsakos Rider Herrmann Sellet, I enjoyed her role of mother best. I was lucky to be loved and inspired by such a true Angel. She allowed me the gift of being me!

She will always be my favorite gemstone - my mom, the diamond!