Monday, February 21, 2011

Cancer's Claims

Dying can become our greatest gift if we prepare ourselves to die well.  Jesus died well because through dying he sent his Spirit of Love to his friends, who with that Holy Spirit could live better lives.  My own mother died well, but not of cancer.  Cancer seems to bring a different dimension to death.  My dad died of cancer. It was horrific and left me shaken and broken.

A dearly loved cousin died of cancer last week.  She chose not to be burned, poisoned or cut, as she called the typical cancer treatments.  She died so, so sick and in such unimaginable pain it is hard to speak of it.  She told me she fought the devil every step of the way through life.  Her mother walked away from her home, her husband, and her five children and went away on the "mail" with a small suitcase and wasn't heard from again for 40 years. My cousin knew loneliness and too many short term homes to give her much security.  She was my age and I loved her for her optimism, her faithful Christian life, her grit and her life experience stories.  I miss her and will miss her forever.

A daughter in law's niece just died of cancer yesterday.  She was young, beautiful, and expected a miracle. She blogs "My Cancer and Me."  This is her last entry; it includes her beautiful photo.


2.20.2011

A new beginning...

Today at 9:20am I received my wings! ...I'm crusin the beach in my shiney new jeep with my hair blowing in the breeze and my dog Taz riding shotgun! 

What I am thankful for: HEAVEN!!

1 comment:

Cordelia said...

My sympathies, Willo. I looked at Tracy's blog. Glad she fought until the end. Your cousin, too, was very brave, doing it her way. I am sorry for her unimaginable, inhuman, pain. They say that shouldn't happen, that we have the drugs to stop it, but it does. I am thinking of you in your time of anguish. Cancer is a fearsome, fearsome thing, to have or to witness.