Our Sweet Daughter By Choice Shannon Elizabeth West
I met Shannon July 1, 2012. It was the day Clif and I moved back from Texas. Jason had told me that he had broken up with his girlfriend of over 10 years, but not about Shannon. I admit that I didn’t really think she was right for Jason at first. She was quiet, didn’t seem to have a sense of humor and she seemed uncomfortable with family tradition’s we followed. I finally talked to Jason and he told me her past was different and didn’t include a traditional family like ours. Her father had been out of the picture for over 20 years. He mother had issues of her own that meant Shannon cared for her since the age of 11. Dinner time was something she wasn’t used to and a mother in charge was very odd to her. But we overcame this. Shannon and Jason told us that she was pregnant in October of 2012. I wasn’t happy so I had a very long talk with Shannon. She told me all about her past. I realized that we had several things about our youth that was very similar. At this time Shannon told me she liked being part of our family. It felt good, felt right and she wanted to be a mom like I was to Jason and not like her mother. In short, we became friends that day. She even started calling me mom after asking permission to call me that. I was honored. Shannon grew daily. I was so very proud of the strong young lady she became. She even started standing up for herself. She was actually discovering her self-worth. Shannon was such a good mother. She doted on Ruby and loved Jason with all her heart. She treated Clif and me like we were her real parents, even introducing us as her parents not in laws. To describe my Shannon I would have to say a beautiful woman both inside and out. Her only goal was to help people. I only had my daughter for 2 years, 9 months and 5 days, but the wonderful memories will be with me a life time. Her sense of humor, was crazy. Her joy in doing things for others was such a beautiful sight to watch. I miss her every day.