Let me tell you a secret

You know when you look at me with concern in your eyes and nicely ask how my mother is doing? And you know how I respond with a huge smile and say "fantastic!"?

I know you think I've momentarily forgotten what is going on. Or you think that I am sugarcoating the truth.

Well, here's the thing.

She's fantastic. We all are.

The day this all started (for me- the day I got the news- a post about that to come later) our sermon at church was about a "peace that transcends all understanding." I now totally understand that phrase.

We are peaceful. We are happy. Our priorities have been shifted, and the things that once would wreck a day (like last week when mom washed her cell phone) have now been reduced to what they actually are-- so unimportant in the grand scheme of things. We value our time together more than we ever did. Our priorities have shifted away from the mundane to the important, and when you live that way, happiness can be found in the strangest of places, including in the middle of a cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy.

She really is fantastic. This round of chemo didn't phase her in the least. The effects of chemo are cumulative, so I suspect this won't be the case each time going forward, but I think she is pleased that she went back to 100% after the first round. Yesterday she picked out a wig, shopped for some comfy clothes, and are lunch out. Not bad for 24 hours after chemo!

Thank you, God, for good news and happy days. Thank you for joy that fills the soul when you least expect it. And thank you for the reminder that focusing on eternal things will completely change the outlook of a situation.

And thank you, friends, for being with all of us each step of the way.

Lindsey

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