I just put my husband on a plane to say goodbye to his mother. This happened so fast. Even though she has battled cancer for the last 5 years. It happened so fast. I remember talking to Marie about that ever elusive concept of time. She battled cancer the first time in her mid-thirties with 3 boys at home …she bartered for more time… time to see them get out of college. She faced this beast a second time when breast cancer reared its ugly head again in her mid-fifties….and again bartered for more time… to see her sons marry and meet her grandchildren. Then on July 2nd 2007 – while visiting us in California – she received the phone call from her Dr. that the disease had spread to her bones. It was terminal. We all rushed to do what we could , researched the statistics, held each other up and hoped for a cure… again we bartered for more time. .. please let her grandchildren know what an amazing woman she is… let them have memories of her, not just stories of her. In the last 5 years she went on the most amazing vacations, she was able to meet 3 more grandchildren – we made it a priority to see her as much as we could. We found out in July of this year that the cancer stopped responding to Chemo. She was placed on a list to be put on a clinical trial.. and we packed our bags to spend our summer vacation with her. One of the most amazing things about Marie – is that she never complains. This summer she would mention little ailments but we wouldn’t think much of it because she wasn’t making a big deal about it. We were making plans for our next visit.. we still hoped that the clinical trial would give us more time. When she was diagnosed 5 years ago, my assumption was that we had a year – thank god I was wrong… BUT I also assumed – when she would get really sick – we would have time to say goodbye, time maybe to go on one family trip..one more time of letting her know how much she means to me how much she means to everyone. Will she ever know how she has changed my life through her complete and unconditional love? Will she know the impact she has had on my children through giving them such an amazing amount of her time sitting on the floor for hours playing legos, trains… or simply laying in bed with Hayden until he drifts off to sleep … “tickle this back, grandma”.
my heart is broken for my family….as we face the future without one of the most amazing woman I have ever met.
Emerson and Hayden deserve more time with their grandma. She deserves more time with her family. .. there are memories still left to be made.
The reality is …when it comes to time,there will always be something to barter for so that you can have more of it.
When we got the call yesterday that things had taken a devastating turn, it was our children that held us up .
Jenny - Liz – I’m so so sorry for this loss your family is going through. I can’t even imagine it and I want you to know you are in my thoughts.
Leticia W - I’m so sorry for your family’s loss. I pray that all of the wonderful memories of this amazing woman help comfort you all in this time of sadness.
Roxanne Elder - Im sorry, so sorry. I hate the evil cancer monster.