Dr. Donda West, mother of rapper Kanye West, has passed on Saturday, November 10, 2007 at age 58. News reports link her death to plastic surgery procedures, however the cause of death remains unconfirmed. This news really touches my heart in more ways than one, and I send my deepest condolences out to Kanye and the West family in their time of sorrow.
Although I did not know her personally, I had a sincere admiration for Ms. West, who raised her son as a single mother (there is a soft spot deep in my heart for single mom's). Not that I have always agreed with everything Kanye has ever said or done, but through the right that we all have to agree to disagree, one could always see the quality and care with which he was raised. The confidence and creativity he walks with can only be cultivated and nurtured by supportive parents with a strong vision of the bigger picture in life. It was apparent that Ms. West possesed those virtues, and the closeness she shared with her only child was undeniable.
Losing your mother at such a young age has to be one of the most devastating blows a person could experience in life. I truly hope that Kanye is able to find strength during this time of indescribable grief.
