My mom died this afternoon, peacefully, with my brother and me both holding her hands.

I wanted to thank all of you for your words of support last week, and to tell you that one of the wonderful things to hear, having become of part of this community, was my mom's friends and colleagues over the past few days talking about what a stylish woman they thought she was. The last professional portrait she had taken, only a few weeks ago, shows her rocking a black leather jacket and dangly silver earrings. She said she felt "like a badass", and as hard as she fought, she certainly was.