The Lotus Files is a personal memoir regarding the first year after losing a close loved one. In my case, it was my mother who battled breast cancer off and on for nine years before passing away in 2010. I read many books on Grief and Mourning to help me get through the first year but the one thing I didn't find in my research was a personal account of what many say is the toughest time after losing a loved one. This is a void that The Lotus Files will fill. I started a blog as a way to vent about my emotions, and quickly realized that I found a voice for many others who had also lost a loved one. The feedback I consistently received was that I wasn't alone, and that my blog helped the readers realize they weren't alone either, as they transitioned through that first year. I also received feedback that my blog helped readers better understand and support family members or friends who experienced a devastating loss. I decided to turn the blog into a book as a means to let a larger audience know what I felt and in turn help them understand that in the midst of the pain, they too can make it to the other side. The book starts shortly after my mother Brenda's prognosis declined and we as a family knew that her time with us was coming to an end. It then chronicles my journey up until a little over a year after her passing. It's an emotional read that will make you cry and laugh as I did. Stepping into my world will hopefully resonate with yours if you or a loved one has been placed on the path to acceptance that I was. You will get there. It just takes one day at a time. *Proceeds from The Lotus Files will fund an endowment in honor of my mother at her College Alma Mater. Once fulfilled, a permanent scholarship will be in place for Breast Cancer Survivors as well as the kin of "Sheroes" who have passed away from it.*