ZCerberus Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 By the middle of 2014, my mom had been having some health problems for several months. She was diagnosed with a milk allergy that had been throwing her digestive system out of control and she was losing weight. Finally, after some scans and labs we knew for sure. In early November she was diagnosed with liver cancer and finally a Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET). The NET and liver cancer combination was not curable. We heard encouraging things. NET cancer is slow. Steve jobs lived with a similar condition for eight years, and he didn’t seek conventional treatment. For whatever reason, hers was more aggressive. Instead of growing at a rate of one or two percent, it was 15. Anger set in. She didn’t understand why this was happening to her. She didn’t abuse drugs or alcohol and she was a good person. Things like this don’t happen to good people, do they? She wrote to a former pastor friend that it wasn’t fair, that she didn’t deserve this and that God was punishing her. The response helped give my mom some comfort and a new resolve. The pastor told her she was looking at this all wrong. Connecting to the English teacher side of my mom, the pastor told her to stop looking at this like a “period”, something that signals the end, but instead to look at this as merely a “comma”, something that signals a pause, something that signals there is more to come. After hearing these words, my mom got a pin with a big red comma on it as a symbol that no matter what would come, this was not the end, only a pause. The comma became a symbol for my mom. We were given mugs with big red commas on them and a small pin she often wore on her shirt. She announced to us on March 22, 2015 that the cancer experts at Mayo had taken their best shot and it hadn’t worked. What we had hoped would be years had ended up being less than six months. My mom’s body passed away on March 31, 2015. As sad as I was about her passing, I try to remember the comma. I try to remember that it is just a pause. I try to remember my mom’s passing is not the end, This MOC, which I brought to Brickworld, is a tribute to my mom. A big red comma with my mom’s nickname and birth date inscribed on the side. The ship has a remote control that extends the wing struts to allow the engines to rotate into a VTOL configuration. A shot from the side shows more of the comma shape. The rear of the ship features three thrust engines with blue engine glow. The ship in landed mode with the "tails" pinned back. There is also a power function to lower the landing gear. The gear isn't anywhere near strong enough to hold up the ship, so it is more of a symbolic addition. The ship features 9 sets of PF lights. One light reveals the co-pilots- my mom and a famous Thespian. Some details. Thanks for looking and reading. Quote
-zenn Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Love the way you used lego as a tribute and a way to honor your mom. Gotta say I'm diggin' that greeblin work all around, awesome work! The functions you build in make it certainly stand out and are icing on the cake. Quote
PaddyBricksplitter Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Thanks for sharing your story and your great moc with us. I am sorry for your loss. I myself had a serious illness though fortunately I made it through. I understand how these things are big and scary, how it effects your loved ones. Especially when it happens to someone who is young. Family and friends all feel so helpless and shocked. Then angry and sad. And no, it's not fair. I take comfort in the symbol of the comma you described. Nothing ever really stays the same or ends. That's not a negative thing. Like a comma. A pause in life. Time needed to think and take stock of events and try to figure out how to begin to move forward again. I found that Lego helped me to get through some very hard times. A distraction, something else to concentrate on. It's a small and silly thing but it can be one little piece of building a solution for going forward. I really like the whole ship design and you have used some interesting construction techniques there. Well done. Quote
___ Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Quite nice build , but seeing those two legs: would they really hold the model standing still? Cos to me they seem to be there just as a aesthetic/visual part, or am I wrong? Quote
Automaton Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Love it! It's original, well build and the all the details give it a very finished look. Quote
Lady K Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 (edited) Sorry to hear about your loss. A very fitting tribute to your mom! Both the coma and a spaceship signify the pause before a new journey begins. The time and details you put into this are fantastic. The colors work well, and the greebling is perfect. Thank you for sharing your story and your build with us. Edited July 22, 2015 by Lady K Quote
hunpeter12 Posted July 22, 2015 Posted July 22, 2015 Very nice piece of remembrance and a spectacular spaceship as well. I'm really sorry for your loss. Quote
FonsoSac Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 I saw this few days ago in flickr. It's an awsome ship and a beautiful tribute for your mother. I 'm sure she would have liked it Quote
Only Sinner Posted July 26, 2015 Posted July 26, 2015 This is a very touching story, I am gald you were able to find some comfort after this tragic loss. The tribute build is really a spectacular model and it has alot of great detail, especially all those lights. Quote
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