David Tabios
As a Veteran of the United States Armed Forces, I am too familiar with losing friends I have personally served with. Not only did they fight for their Country, they also faught and struggled with their mental health. For some it was too much and eventually they sought escape. Every day we hear another story, another tragedy about a loved one who has left this world too soon.
On February 6, 2022 the world lost an amazing woman. On this day, my mother, Denise Helen Tabios, succumbed to her lifelong fight with mental illness. Those that knew my mother would say she was a kind, caring and loving woman. A woman who lived her life for her husband, her four children, her many grandchildren and her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I would like to share a childhood memory that I will never forget. As a kid, I felt that I was "too cool" to say “I love you” to my mom when we were around my friends. So knowing I was a San Francisco 49ers fan, she came up with a saying that would allow us to communicate that we loved each other. Instead of saying, “I love you” to me, she would say, "how about them 49ers?" It made my face change to bright red, but still smiling I gave her a nod of understanding. That memory has always put a smile on my face. I wish I said it more often to her. I know you are at peace in Heaven mom, but how about them 49ers?