When math teacher Allison Jones lost her mother last summer, her life changed forever. As she looks back on who her mother was and as time passes, she learns to manage life without her.  

In the summer of 2024, Jones’s mom passed away unexpectedly to an unknown cancer. But Jones said it is important to know her mom was a person — the things she did and what she truly loved doing. 

“She loved baking, loved flowers, doing her pots for spring and summer time, good memories of doing that,” Jones said.  

Growing up, Jones said she and her mom had a great bond. They went on girls trips together to see family in different states, baked and planted flowers. As she grew up, Jones began to understand who her mom was as a person, the one who was always helping out. This was a big influence on Jones.  

“She was probably always the one taking care of everybody,” Jones said. “Whether it was helping out with her parents or my great grandparents’ doctor’s appointments, nursing home visits — just always willing to help out, no matter what.” 

Jones’s mom grew up in the country and wasn’t able to do sports or any extracurriculars, so growing up, she made sure Jones had every opportunity there was, even if it wasn’t Jones’s idea.  

“She made sure I had piano lessons or I got to do dance class, different summer camp for art or calligraphy and watercolor — just a variety,” Jones said. “It wasn’t necessarily my idea.” 

Jones was navigating learning to live without her mom every day.   

“The main thing is you just realize how alone,” Jones said. “You don’t have that source of bouncing ideas off of and just the random conversations.” 

Jones said she has faced loss many times before and has learned from each of those losses. She knew from the passing of her grandparents, especially the significant loss of her grandpa in college. 

“It really is just time; it never completely goes away,” Jones said. “You just kind of compartmentalize on the day-to-day stuff but then there will just weird random stuff will catch you.”