A Letter From Therese
 
Sunday, August 19, 2007

JMJ

~ Thy Will Be Done ~ Jesus I Trust in You ~ Come Holy Spirit!

One of the things my family wanted to do after I was diagnosed was a beach vacation. That finally happened in May. The kids always wanted to rent a beach house, and this year we did just that at the Isle of Palms in SC. It was beautiful and private. The house had a pool, and even though we were there for the first tropical storm of the season, "Andrea," the sun came out each day and we were able to enjoy the beach indoors and out!

May was also an exciting month for our family as we prepared for another daughter's wedding in June. The month went by so quickly, there wasn't time to fear how I'd be "doing" for the wedding. The tumor enlarged for sure because my dress almost didn't fit. But thankfully there was no need to rush out and and buy another dress: I managed to fit into the one I had bought in March. Yet another blessing!

We were all so thankful for my continued good health through this special, momentous occasion. I was able to do everything but skip down the isle during the rehearsal! God has been so generous in giving me the time and stamina to do so much since the diagnosis in February, but this was the event that I simply needed to be a part of!

June was also spent with family and friends who stayed after the wedding. Unfortunately, it was interrupted a bit with my first real bout with some pain, which thankfully only lasted about a week. Since then I have been grateful to "do" when and where I can. In between, or when needed, I have a bed day to recuperate, and I continue to thank God for that which I am able to do.

In July I took a trip to the Monastery of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit in Conyers. I would visit the monastery frequently when we lived in Atlanta, and would take my kids (3 of them at the time) there to feed the ducks. It is such a holy place filled with memories for me and my older children. The day I visited happened to be the anniversary of being enrolled in the Brown Scapular on the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. (Another blessing!) God also blessed me with making a new friend in Brother Callistus that day. We shared holy talk and excitement about the real meaning of life.

July was also the month for organizing and planning a very special pilgrimage in August - check back for that update complete with pictures.

Though we've been busy since May, I've learned to stop, visit, and smell the flowers (literally and figuratively). My family, too, has a new perspective. We don't sit around and await death, though. We live each day with more appreciation. While our routines haven't changed much, our attitudes have. It becomes very easy to take each other for granted when everything seems to be "normal." For that reason it continues to be important to be sure living with this cancer doesn't become normal. It is our way of life today, and while we accept the challenges, we also recognize and find joy in the gifts and blessings.

With continued thanks for your prayers, support, and kind words which are always a blessing to us.

~ Therese