Born May 30, 1962 in Michigan to the Bollingers, the baby of the family. She was the youngest, with two older sisters, Kathy and Donna. She married in 1989, gaining the name Shelton, and out of that marriage brought into the world two boys, Nicholas and Christopher. My mother was fun, loving, and very outgoing. You could always count on her to have a good time and enjoy herself, and when she smiled you couldn't help but do the same. She tried so hard to make it through those years, working herself to provide a home for us, moving us cross country just to allow us to explore opportunities not available in Michigan. Graduating from Wayne Memorial High School, my mother went on to Cosmetology School, and began cutting hair. She later went on to work with my grandmother at a company my grandmother had started, ran, and owned: Rayne-Bo Homes. A business that focused on the needs of those with mental handicaps, providing housing and care for these residents, consisting of 4 group homes that she ran and later handed over after 15+ years. After the company had been handed over, my mother went back to cosmetology and waitressing, working very hard to keep us above water after the divorce in 2001. After three years of struggling, finally in 2004 we made the move to Arizona where most of the family on her side already resided. Here in Arizona my mother worked as a security guard for 3 years, and in the year 2007 had to quit due to knee problems. For the year of 2007 she was in and out of the hospital 4 different times for operation on her knee. Due to this she was unable to work and had to be placed on unemployment. I think it was the pain of not only her body that she felt, but the fact that my brother and I had gone to live with my grandparents in 2007 due to family issues, and amongst all this, the stress, the grief, and the inability to just get her head above water again it was simply too much, that year had ravaged her. On top of all this, my mother had been struggling with alcohol for many years prior to this, a factor that had played into her fate. I wish I could have been there more, known exactly what it was she felt, what it was that just didn't let her feel any peace. Much of that year she could hardly sleep, the pain, all of it, just wouldn't let her rest, and she herself wouldn't rest. My mother was an on-the-go type of person, always having to be doing something, anything, and now I hop
On January 15, 2008 you were lifted from this world and placed into the arms of God, where you may forever find comfort and peace knowing there would be no more pain. That day I had a feeling inside me, one that had urged me to call you, but as you and I both know I was never able to get around to that, something had kept me from calling you that day, and as of now I still do not know if you would have been able to answer. It was my inhibitions that kept me from you, not knowing what to say or how to say it, whatever that may be. For that I am sorry, sorry I did not call you more often, sorry that I did not call you that day, and sorry there are no more opportunities for that. I only hope there was no pain, that whatever you felt that day if anything at all was an inner peace, a sigh of relief, an opportunity to finally catch your breath after all those years. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, we all do, and we all greatly miss YOU<3
My head has been filled with the memories we shared, and all the ones we were unable to share together. I graduated on May 21, 2008, so I DID IT! I know you were watching, I could feel it that day as I walked across that stage, or sat in that crowd, and I looked for you amongst their faces. I searched for your smile, hoping your eyes would meet mine, but they did not... however in my heart there was an excitement, a feeling of comfort that only you could have given me that day.
