Ruth left a letter for her family that Sandy had helped her with. Ruth's three children, three children-in-law, twelve grandchildren, their spouses, and her twenty-six great-grandchildren sat in Amy's living room as Sandy read the letter to them.
My dearest family,
As I write this, I am no longer able to walk, speak well, eat, or write. I've asked Sandy to help me tell you all how much you have meant to me. I have individual letters for each of you to have as well. Yes, it's true that I have found it incredibly difficult to survive without Hank. He was my rock, my best friend, my caregiver, and the love of my life. However, you have all made it possible for me to do what I have thought was impossible.
To my twenty-six great-grandchildren, I am so thrilled that I have been able to be a part of your lives if only for a short while. You have enhanced my life in ways I didn't know possible. Each of you has always held a special place in my heart. I can't believe how lucky I got with all of you. To Shiloh, Braydon, Evan, Harrison, Ryder, Layla, Skylar, Beckett, Valeria, Zayden, Melanie, Cecilia, Fiona, Selena, Samara, Siena, Mario, Maximilliano, Rylan, Cruz, Joaquin, and Elena remember how much you are loved and how much you are worth. You are all amazing and I know that you will do great things. It has been my honor and privilege to be your great-grandmother.
To my twelve grandchildren: Penelope, Kyle, Natasha, Grayson, Genevieve, Alexander, Dylan, Emma, Jane, Mason, Lori, Levi, Alana, Matteo, Jesse, Luna, Faith, Carina, Henry, and Viviana. You have all made me so proud. You have all chosen lives where you help others and love one another. You have been incredible parents to your children and passed all of their wonderful traits to them. I have loved watching you grow and become the adults you are today. I was blessed with some of you later in life, but my love for you is just as strong. Never forget how much you are loved and how much you are worth. I love you all so much. It has been my honor and privilege to be your grandmother.
To my children: Christopher, Lisa, Amy, Jesse, Bennett, and Chloe. You all gave me a purpose in this life. I may have not had you all during the same part of my life, but you made my life wonderful. Bennett I never expected to become a mother again in my sixties and you just opened up my heart so much more. I am very grateful for what you did to help Lori get to safety and help them find me. You have always said that I saved your life, but you saved mine. Chloe, you are such a sweet and wonderful girl. You were helping to take care of me when you were fifteen and had just met me. You have been my daughter ever since that night you moved in and maybe a little before then. Christopher, you saved my life by agreeing to, well, take my life. You were sweet and kind that day as you tried to keep us safe. I was so thrilled when I found out that you were my long lost beautiful baby boy. I was even more thrilled to find out you came with more grandchildren. You moved in that day to help your dad take care of me and help me recover. You were a blessing in disguise. Lisa, I met you before I found my son. You did everything to help me physically recover and that first time around you got me back on my feet and living independently again. The second time you helped me recover as much as possible. You have been another daughter that I never knew I needed. You and Chris moved in to help care for me after my last stroke. Your selflessness has meant the world to me. Jesus, I mean Jesse, we got off to a rocky start, but eventually, I learned your name and things got better. You have shown my daughter nothing but love and respect and I am grateful to you for that. She deserved all of that and the happiness you gave her. You gave me three more grandchildren and of course, you know that made me like you three times more. You have always been helpful to me and the greatest son-in-law a woman could ever ask for. You are as much my son as Bennett and Christopher. Amy, you and I have had a complicated relationship over the years and I for one am thrilled that we figured our shit out. You are my sweet baby girl who became the second person to ever love me. Your father was the first. I was hard on you and I regret that. I had always craved the love of a mother and I made you feel that your mother didn't love you for so long. Thank you for forgiving me and for making me a bigger part of your life. You have been by my side since the day of my first stroke. You have helped me recover and live my life. When I was a young woman, you were my reason for living. Any time I thought of giving up, I thought of your sweet face. You saved my life and gave me the love I never thought I deserved until you showed me that I did.
Amy, you and Jesse expanded your home so that I could live with family and not use the stairs. All of you have been by my side this past year and helped me live my last days with dignity. You have treated me, not as a patient or a child, but as an adult. I am so grateful to all of you. I want you all to go on with your lives and live them the way you want to. Try not to mourn me too long, but at least mourn me some. I'm kidding, everyone grieves in their own way and in their own time. You have all been my life and my heart.
I love you all so much,
Ruth, Mom, grandma, and great-grandma