My momma passed away unexpectedly last week, and my world changed in an instant. So did the lives of everyone who knew and loved her.
She was only 51 years old.
She wasn’t just mom to me, she was everything. My sister, my best friend, my cheerleader, my mentor, love of my life.
Everything.
My mom, Maria Fridman, was an immigrant from Ukraine, and had me at 22 in Boston, Massachusetts. She raised me on her own, and she worked so hard to give me the most beautiful life. My life is so much richer and colorful because of her, and I know everyone that knew my mom feels that too.
I can’t even describe my mom as a person, because her very energy surpassed humanity. Every problem we had, she somehow fixed. She took care of me and everything around her.
My mom was my sole provider, and my biggest source of stability. She took care of me in every sense of the word. While I’m grieving the person I loved the most, I am navigating responsibilities that were so effortless to her. She was my biggest supporter, and the person who would pick up the phone no matter what time it was. I feel her everywhere. She will always be with me, even as I’m writing this. She loved deeply, gave generously, and had a way of making people feel so cared for. Family was the most important thing to her, and she refused to give up on anyone.
Losing her so suddenly has left an emptiness that words can’t fully describe.
I know she’s at peace, and that all she feels is love surrounding her. She was the very essence of love. She loved me so, so much. I know she’s okay. I just wish I had more time.
As I’m navigating through this unimaginable loss, my family and I are also facing the immediate costs of giving her the memorial and burial she deserves.
Although my mom had life insurance, those benefits take time to process. In the meantime, I am responsible for funeral and burial expenses that cannot wait. I am asking for help bridging that gap so we can focus on honoring her life instead of worrying about how to pay for her final arrangements.
Every donation, no matter the size, will go directly toward:
Funeral and burial expenses
Memorial service costs
Other immediate end-of-life expenses
If you’re unable to donate, sharing this page would mean the world to us.
Thank you for your kindness, your support, and for helping us celebrate a woman who gave so much love throughout her life.
For almost thirty years, it was just the two of us. We were, and always will be a team. She spent her life making sure I would always be ok, and now I’m trying to give her the goodbye she deserves.
She was and is so deeply loved, and I will always carry her with me.
With gratitude, love, kindness, all of the above,
Roxy
