One of my favorite quotes is "If you're going to pray for rain, be prepared to deal with a little mud." These words have never been more applicable than they are right now, as I watch my sweet mom battle cancer. When someone you love is handed a cancer diagnosis, you immediately start praying; praying for a cure, praying for a successful treatment, praying to
find the best doctors, and then praying
for those doctors. In our case, we are very fortunate that my mom's cancer typically responds well to chemothereapy, or as her as her nurses call it her "chemo cocktail." We all prayed for the rain, and we feel very fortunate that we got it. Now comes the not-so-fun part: dealing with the mud. The side effects of chemo are numerous, and pretty miserable. Mom has been incredibly brave. A couple of days ago her hair began to fall out. It was completely expected, but completely shocking at the same time. Last night we got together and had a little "party" to shave her head. As you all know, the Harris women will find any excuse to have a good party, and this was no exception. We all wore matching t-shirts that said "Fight like a Girl" with the pink ribbon. Mom's shirt said "Of course these are fake, my real ones tried to kill me." This experience has taught us you have to laugh when you can, and then cry when you need to. Last night we did both. Mom, I want you to know that you are more beautiful today than you have ever been. Your hair is not what makes you beautiful. When I look at you, I see your strength, courage, faith and determination. You are a survivor and I am so proud of you. I know that this storm has brought a lot of rain, and a lot of mud. As it is with any storm, the clouds eventually part, and you are left with a beautiful, new day. Just remember--this storm will pass, your hair will grow back and you will be a strong and healthy cancer survivor. Before you know it, you'll be teasing it up and spraying it down, just like the good ol' days. I love you, Mom.
Me and Mom, just before the haircut |
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| The Sisters, sporting our T-shirts |
4 comments:
At least we laughed more than we cried, I think!
Love the T-shirts! You guys are amazing! Continuing to pray for your sweet mom and you devoted daughters as well!
What an inspiring post Mel. Your sisters seem so cute. I'm praying as well for your Mom. She seems like a fun-spirited superwoman.
Mel - Your family is amazing and inspiring. Thank you for sharing. We think about you and your family often, and are keeping your mom in our prayers! Love you!
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