Two Friends - Breast Cancer - Lessons

Michelle.  She has had her surgery and is at the beginning of her chemo treatments.  Round two is today which prevented her from going to the airport to see her son off.  He's a marine.

Karin.  A "sister" who I have just begun to start talking to and getting to know finished her chemo treatments on Christmas Eve (2015)!!!!!  Her next step will be her  surgery.  Her mom is ALSO battling along side her from what I understand.

Cabrini's Pink Out game October 2015

Cancer, no matter the type, does not discriminate.  When hit with it though, something happens; strength one never thought could be mustered is birthed.  Emotions one never thought had, well up.  Appreciation for EVERYTHING takes precedent over bitterness and annoyance about things that don't matter.  I'm not sure if Michele and Karin can relate to all that follows but for me......



       You cry more but you also smile and laugh more.  

You care.  OH, do you care!  You cherish like you've never cherished before.  

       You learn to prioritize and set limitations.  It's not easy at first because you're supposed to be superwoman but eventually you learn at this time in your life, you cannot, 



                                            HOWEVER,


       you do what you can when you can because even though you're tired, you're never ever giving up hope and faith that you're going to beat this.   



You become humble.  Relying on others when you are used to doing it all becomes a way of life during this time.  It's not easy but you go with it and learn to accept the help.


      Your faith in God becomes your strength when you think you can't do it anymore. 


 
    These lessons learned (the hard way sometimes) become teaching tools for the future.  YOU become the supporter.  YOU become the one someone else relies on.  YOU become the blessing to someone else because you "know".  You know what it is like and will look back and say to yourself, "There was a reason.  I was within God's perfect plan that I had to go through that." Someone else needed me too. 


It goes without saying, cancer isn't the only interruption in life that can teach us to learn from the trial we must endure.  I think we are allowed to mourn, yell, kick, scream and claim it's not fair.  Heck, I did!  I always tried to move out of that frame of mind and ask God to renind me why or who I needed to fight this fight for.


I see in Michele and Karin the strength they have mustered up, the emotions they've felt, the appreciation they have, and how they are cherishing life and all that it has to offer; the little things and the big.  As I watch them, they inspire me to embrace my challenges in life like they are because we really do only have one life on this earth to live and I believe God does want us to live it to the fullest. 

If you're in a place in your life that you don't have the kind of faith Michele, Karin and myself have, consider putting your faith in the one Lord, Jesus who can help you through and give you peace in the midst of the storm.  If He's tugging at your heart to turn to Him, trust it's the right time. His timing is always perfect!