Heart of Gold
My mother Arlene was born on May 15, 1942. She was the only girl with 3 brothers who adored her. She loved to laugh, bring out the best in everyone and was always there cheering everyone on.
She met my father and got married in her 20s, facing several hardships but staying dedicated to her family. She moved from New York to Miami and eventually came back, desperately trying to make ends meet as a stay-at-home mother of four.
Despite her hardship, she was never ungrateful and didn’t ask for much. The little things kept her happy, such as a brunch date or dinner outing just to spend time together. She cared deeply for her four children: Rob, Amy, Paul and myself.
My mother wanted to fill our home with love and happiness. Of course with 4 kids, things got pretty chaotic. School activities, studies and routines filled our schedules, but my mother made it her goal to devote her time to each of us so we would all feel her love and compassion. She made it to baseball games, photo shoots, hula hoop contests and swim meets, splitting quality time among each of us.
I have always envied her heart. She wore her heart on her sleeve and everyone could see how genuine she was. Her heart of gold touched anyone she came in contact with. She was the kind of person to give you the shirt off her back.
At one point, I moved to Florida and it was hard for her to bear. She would make every excuse to call me and even tried to lure me home; in turn, I planned a surprise visit. I was welcomed with tears and a stop at our favorite breakfast spot for another date to be deposited in the memory bank.
Her love was unconditional. She thought of her children and grandkids regularly, making herself available even when her health began to deteriorate. She was the first to forge forward and put on a smile around her family. Although she was older, she was ecstatic and jumped at the chance to watch my daughter. Bonding was her passion and she made sure she got her quality time in with each and every grandchild.
My only regret was that my daughter was only 3 when my mother passed and didn’t get to know such a giving soul. My siblings and I make sure her memory lives on, celebrating her birthday by telling our children about happy stories and fond memories.
Although she passed away on August 11, 2011, we will always cherish her. Time may go by, but her memory will live on forever. We always say that she is forever in our hearts, but in our family, we close our eyes and she is there.
Stacey Ochoa
was born in Miami and raised in New York. She graduated with an associates marketing degree in 2000. She is married to her husband, Benjamin, and has a lovely 13-year-old daughter, Elisa and step son Matthew, 15. She is family-oriented and has a tight-knit God-fearing family who works to be humble and see the beauty and laughter in life.