Today we’re here to remember the beautiful life of Latoya Stacy Ross. A mother, daughter, sister & friend. My mom was my whole world & if you know me, us that’s not an exaggeration she was my BEST FRIEND. And it wasn’t on the level where she was more of a friend to me than a parent she just treated me like a human being with feelings. She listened to whatever problems I had. I always wanted to talk to her first about whatever. She never made me feel ashamed behind anything I chose to do she just helped me see the lesson behind it if there was one. When I got pregnant she was a lil sad cause she felt like She didn’t want me to struggle like she did being a young mom, still tryna figure it out but she was obsessed with her grand-baby ever since then. You couldn’t tell mommy nothing about niyniy and you can’t niyniy nothing about her Gigi. It crushes me to know that she won’t be her physically to see niyah grew up and everything she’ll accomplish but I know she’ll be her personal guardian Angel and always be with her. Anybody that met my mother knew she was a sweetheart & would treat you like one of her own even though her serious face looked scary to everybody, everybody loved her. If you was at my house you was getting fed, didn’t have anywhere to sleep she was quick to tell you blow up the air mattress in the living room, if you needed REAL GENUINE ADVICE you could ask mommy & she’d tell you what she genuinely thought was best for YOU. What I loved the most about my mom was that even though she was “scaring looking” & “intimidating” to some people she was the goofiest person I know. We would be laughing in the house for hours straight to the point where tears are falling down my face, I cant breathe & my stomach hurts. She was my mother & father & she wore both hats with grace, her head held high & a smile on her face. Me & my mom were 20 years apart so I grew up with my mom before Mel was born it was just me & her so from then to now I’ve seen my mom overcome a lot of things, mainly get dealt the crappy end of the stick (giving the situation she was in) but she never let anything fully crush her. She never let me see her defeated she made sure she figured it out not just for herself but for us also.  I will never be the same again and that’s ok, this is a void I’m going to feel for the rest of the my life it’ll just become easier to deal with. But this is something I wasn’t ready to deal with just yet there was a lot I wanted to do for my mom, a lot I wanted her to experience becoming a citizen in the states, being able to travel, starting a business maybe because she was very intelligent and great with numbers. She always had a new idea about a business or a side hustle for us to do together just so we could say it was ours. She always looked for the bigger picture. And I get that from her I’m always thinking long term. There’s this quote I stumbled across a couple of days after her passing and it said “now I have to remember you longer than I knew you” and I’m so sad this how our story had to end mommy I wish we had more time but I’ll always cherish the 24 years I got to spend with you & I’m going to continue and always make you proud.