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This photo story was created during the Boyd’s Station Dusk to Dusk 24-Hour photo competition where participants were tasked with interpreting the theme of “Picking Up the Pieces”.
I’m endlessly grateful for Breanna opening up her heart and home to me to talk about her late mother. I learned a lot about love, family, and Kay.
Like how she’d always wanted a tattoo.
Her guilty pleasure shows of The Office and My 600-Lb. Life.
How she’d sneaked in Tigger, a tiny kitten found on the roadside, because he needed a home even though they already had other pets.
How she’d advocate for specific plants in the garden and then work with her husband David to make them happen.
Her markings in her favorite bible.
How she was such a thoughtful gift giver and planner that her grandson was able to receive a special blanket for his birthday months after her death.
If you take away anything: Hold your loved ones close, cherish the memories you have and check in often with those grieving beyond the immediate time of passing.
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East Wall Middle Gate
Breanna Moss, 27, lost her mother, Kay B. Moss, 58, to stage four renal cell carcinoma and other complications on June 5, 2022. The two shared a relationship that went beyond mother and daughter, telling each other everything and signing off notes “love you more.”
Diagnosed in 2019, Kay fought a lengthy battle encountering allergic reactions, surgery complications and difficulty breathing due to her lungs filling with fluids. Breanna stepped in to pick up all household tasks her mother could no longer do as well as caring for her mother utilizing her experience in healthcare, raising her two sons, returning to school and navigating a two year relationship during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Days & weeks after losing you, I was angry,” wrote Breanna. “Angry at how the world continued to turn. How people were shopping & eating like something awful hadn’t just happened. Like the most amazing person to me hadn’t just vanished from this Earth. Eventually I realized no one would know the depths of my pain with losing you, just as I’d never know theirs.”
Kay was a devout woman. Kay told her family members that they would reunite in Heaven one day at the East Wall Middle Gate.
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![Left to right, a family portrait of Joshua Moss, Joseph Moss, Kay Moss, David Moss, and Breanna Moss, sits cracked on a mantel in the Moss family home. The house features many photos of the family, but are centered around Kay.]()
Left to right, a family portrait of Joshua Moss, Joseph Moss, Kay Moss, David Moss, and Breanna Moss, sits cracked on a mantel in the Moss family home. The house showcases many photos of the family, but are centered around Kay.
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![Breanna Moss, 27, displays one of her tattoos inked in her mother’s handwriting. Her mother always wanted a tattoo, but was unable to get one due to risk of infection in her later years. Breanna has several other tattoos including an anchor design from Ka]()
Breanna Moss, 27, displays one of her tattoos inked in her mother’s handwriting. Her mother always wanted a tattoo, but was unable to get one due to risk of infection in her later years. Breanna has several other tattoos including an anchor design from Kay’s potential tattoo Pinterest board. -
![David Moss, 62, pauses working on a garden in his backyard. He and Kay would collaborate and spend time together cultivating the space. Losing the love of his life, David wishes for one more day with Kay describing her as “special” and “always giving’. “I]()
David Moss, 62, pauses working on a garden in his backyard. He and Kay would collaborate and spend time together cultivating the space. Losing the love of his life, David wishes for one more day with Kay describing her as “special” and “always giving’. “I’ll never get over it,” David said. “When I die, she’ll be on my mind.” -
![Breanna poses for a photo holding the ashes of her mother. The group in charge of cremation were supposed to save a lock of Kay’s hair, but failed to. Breanna would often brush and style Kay’s hair to help prepare her for the day.]()
Breanna poses for a photo holding the ashes of her mother. The group in charge of cremation were supposed to save a lock of Kay’s hair, but failed to. Breanna would often brush and style Kay’s hair to help prepare her for the day.
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![Layton Moss, 7, left, and Sheperd Moss, 3, right, play in the living room of their family home. Layton has more memories of his grandmother than Shepherd, but both grieve in their own ways.]()
Layton Moss, 7, left, and Sheperd Moss, 3, right, play in the living room of their family home. Layton has more memories of his grandmother than Shepherd, but both grieve in their own ways. The living room is where many mementos and pictures of Kay are displayed as well as her ashes.
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![Breanna looks up a shadow portrait of her mother and other family members. The house is full of reminders and photos of Kay’s legacy.]()
Breanna looks up a shadow portrait of her mother and other family members. The house has been in the family for generations and has detailed history on both Breanna's mother's and father's sides.
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![Breanna holds a quilt of shirts her mother would often wear. Her favorite is the Dunder Mifflin shirt as they would often watch The Office together at home and in the hospital.]()
Breanna holds a quilt of shirts her mother would often wear. Her favorite is the Dunder Mifflin shirt as they would often watch The Office together at home and in the hospital. -
![Shepherd Moss, 3, scoots down the sidewalk with gentle pushes from his mother Breanna to get him started. Breanna does her best to help the boys remember their “Gammy” and raise them how her mom raised her by being an active figure in their lives.]()
Shepherd Moss, 3, scoots down the sidewalk with gentle pushes from his mother Breanna to get him started. Breanna does her best to help the boys remember their “Gammy” and raise them how her mom raised her by being an active figure in their lives. The tattoo seen on her leg is a Thestral from Harry Potter. The creature can be seen by characters only if they've lost a loved one. Breanna received the tattoo shortly after Kay's passing.
