July 15, 2010

A quick note about the photos in this entry - they were all taken right before any treatment was started. It's tough for mom to think of photos being taken right now but we'll be getting some current ones posted soon.

This has been a tough journey and it's not over but we celebrate an amazing milestone today. LAST DAY OF CHEMOTHERAPY!! Just amazing how fast it flew by once we got started. Tomorrow is the last day of radiation and then on Monday we'll drop by some treats for the wonderful team in oncology and radiation. What a tremendous circle of people.

You should see their faces light up when they come in to Mom's room. She STILL manages to smile and try to make people smile as well. She truly is an inspiration to so many people.

So what's next? Well - she'll be spending the next month recuperating and that will probably mean a lot of sleeping. she is...well..exhausted. And rightfully so. She still fights sleeping so much but I told her today she needs to listen to her body and allow it to heal. She's been bombarded with poisons and toxic chemicals to fight the cancer and it's destroyed a lot of good things BUT the human body is an amazing creation - God made it to come back. So she'll get some much needed rest. I told dad to let her sleep but it's so hard for him right now. They have a routine, you know. And breakfast just isn't breakfast when Mom is asleep. But he said he'll do his best. So Dad, thank you for all of YOUR sacrifices during this time. Breakfast alone isn't much fun we know but the gift you are giving mom in allowing her to rest is priceless. Your gift to her does not go unrecognized!


For those of you who know them, they are two of the most connected people I have ever known. They still hold hands, they still snuggle. Every night before bed one of them gets up from their respective chair and goes to sit next to the other one. They watch some news, and then head to bed. Lately mom goes to bed early and you know what my father does? He doesn't stay in the living room to keep watching tv. He brings a chair in to the room, sets it next to their bed, holds mom's hand and they watch it together. Mom tells me at night they still tell each other how much they love and respect the other one. They still talk about their dreams for the future. And I still catch them smooching in the kitchen!

We should all be so lucky. I bet most of us are, but we're just not taking advantage of it like mom and dad. I hope you have a circle of life around you - not just a circle of friends but of LIFE. I hope you have someone's hand to hold.

Kahlil Gibran, the Lebanese-American poet and writer once wrote, "Love is the only freedom in the world because it so elevates the spirit that the laws of humanity and the phenomena of nature do not alter its course". It truly does elevate the spirit.

There is much in this world to bring us sorrow. So many experiences and events to write sad, mourning songs about. For so many there is a symphony of requiem's playing as the background music in their lives. There is so much pain and even today there are so many of us hurting - but perhaps we can learn just a little bit from my parents. About how to hold hands - feeling that connection to the spirit that dwells within all of us. Thank you, Mom and Dad - even though this summer has been such a difficult journey you have walked this path with integrity. Each step has been on purpose and we are so very proud to be your children. You ARE our circle of life and we love and adore you. So keep fighting, Mom. Sense us all around you, reaching out to you with our thoughts and prayers.