Sunday, November 17, 2013

Prayers for the STRONG

As I head off to work in the morning, it will be with my heart in a different place. For the third time, we are here in our home in Maryland, while our hearts are back with our families in our first homes. The first time was when Nate's uncle suffered what could have been life threatening injuries from an accident at work, the second was when my dad underwent a procedure just in time to prevent a massive heart attack, and now in the morning my family will all be heading to the hospital to fight cancer once again.

Growing up, my cousin and I went to school together, graduated together, played ball together, were even nominated for the same Homecoming Court together as seniors. We even majored in the same thing with education. I don't think either of us was ever really following the other. We were definitely close but at times we were probably the other's biggest competitor. We both carried that Williams strong willed, competitive nature even when we maybe sometimes used it against each other but we were also the first ones in line to have the other's back.

Sometimes our fiercest competitor is also usually the one we have the greatest admiration for too though. We were just kids when cancer struck our family the first time. Her dad, my dad's brother, fought it longer than I ever saw anybody fight that awful disease. We were eleven when he died, and it will be twenty years this April. Now with what I see as a teacher and looking back on the last twenty years, her strength to mentally survive and overcome, hold onto her hope, and be the amazing woman and mother she is today deserves the admiration I had no hope of recognizing as a kid. She is without a doubt one of the strongest people I know.

But unfortunately after losing her father twenty years ago, she now has to go through fighting this nasty disease again with her mother. And this becomes one of those things I just don't understand. How does one child face cancer with both of their parents? It's one of those unfair things. My cousin comes by her inner strength honestly because not only from her father but her mother, my aunt, would also definitely make it into that one of the strongest people I know categories. They are without a doubt some of the strongest women I know.

But as my mother in law recently told me, even the strongest of us need back up. That waiting room during my aunt's surgery tomorrow will be filled with family.  That's what family does. We're there for the good, the bad, and the ugly and when the going gets tough, we all just get a little tougher. I won't be there with them in person, but I will definitely be there in heart. I know this is going to be a tough road at times, and we all know how strong (and stubborn) you are, but let the rest of us stand behind you, beside you, hold your hand, offer you our comfort, our help, our words and hope. Let us back you up and be there for you. Again I wish I could be there for you so for now I offer the only thing I've ever been able to offer in tough times. My support, my listening ear, and the words that show I care and that I'm here for you. It's time like this that there really never seems to be the right words to say so just know I love you all and will be praying and thinking of you.

For my praying people, I hope you'll keep my aunt in your prayers tomorrow as she undergoes surgery to remove breast cancer. Also, pray for her two children, my cousin I grew up with and her older brother.

3 comments:

  1. Hi, just wanted to let you know I prayed tonight for your aunt. My husband lost both of his parents to cancer. I never had the privilege of meeting them, but he can tell you how rough it was to watch both of them suffer in such a short time span. He had both in the hospital in the same week fighting cancers. They died four years apart.

    Mary-andering Creatively

    Mary-andering Among the Pages

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  2. I am thinking of you (and praying for you and your loved ones) xoxoxo Jodi from thenoiseofboys

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  3. Thank you, ladies. Mary, I cannot imagine what that must have been like for your husband. Prayers to him too as I know the healing and moving on process sticks with us for the rest of our lives.

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