Title: The Scent of Roses in December: A Tribute to My Mother, and to All Touched by Cancer

 By Alexander Atkinson Jr.

Metlakatla, Alaska

Cancer.

A word that carries too much weight for so many of us. Here in Metlakatla, it feels like almost every family has been touched by it — too many times, in too many painful ways. It hurts. Deeply. Whether it's a loved one, a close friend, or a neighbor, cancer has taken from our community, again and again.

For me, cancer took my mother — Roberta “Bobbi” Atkinson.
My mom was the heart of our family. Her laughter could fill a room, and her love had no conditions. She was strong, kind, and full of life. But cancer came in like a thief and took that strength piece by piece. It wasn’t fair. It never is.

I still remember that December, when my wife and boys came up to Alaska so we could spend Christmas with my mom. The cold air, the bare trees, the stillness — it all felt like nature itself was holding its breath. My mom lay in her hospital bed at home, surrounded by family. Even through pain, she smiled. Even through suffering, she loved.

But I was angry.
I remember stepping outside in the cold and crying out in prayer:
Why? Why her, God? Why this way?

And then… something happened.

As I stood in the winter silence, tears on my cheeks, I suddenly smelled the most beautiful roses. It didn’t make sense — there were no flowers anywhere in sight. Everything was frozen, colorless. Yet the scent was real — strong, warm, comforting. I paused, confused but strangely at peace.

When I walked back inside, my mom looked up at me with a smile and asked,
“Did you smell Him?”

I asked, “Who?”
She replied, “My Guardian Angel. He’s here. And when he’s near, we smell the most beautiful roses.”

That moment is forever etched in my soul.

It was her way of letting us know — there’s more than just pain. There’s beauty, even in suffering. There’s love, even in loss. And there is peace, even when we don’t understand.

My mother taught me what real love is. She prayed for our family every day. She lifted us when we didn’t know we needed lifting. And though cancer may have taken her from this earth, it did not take her spirit. Her love, her smile, her strength — they live on in everyone she touched.

To anyone who has walked this painful road, know that you are not alone. Here in Metlakatla, we stand together — in grief, in love, and in memory. And sometimes, when the pain is too much, we might even catch the scent of roses in the cold air — a quiet reminder that our loved ones are never truly gone.

Thank you, Mom.
For your strength.
For your prayers.
For your love.
And for reminding me — even in sorrow — of the beauty that never fades.