Faith, Family and Community

Does adversity ever end? As I look back over the last 2 years, I and my family have faced much trauma and adversity. It started in February of 2017 when suspicions of relapsed lymphoma began to invade my thoughts. The year 2017 was full of diagnostic tests, chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant and subsequent recovery. 2018 looked like it was going to be a better year until the end of February when a PET scan showed the lymphoma was still there. The dark cloud of lymphoma hung over me and my family until the beginning of July 2018. We then got a break from medical appointments for a period of 2 months. Then it was back to more vaccinations and maintenance chemotherapy. A nasty cold attached itself to me in November and then a flu bug in December in conjunction with another maintenance chemotherapy session. My health cleared up in time for the Christmas holidays and the month of January 2019. During the Christmas break, Hubby and I discussed making a trip to Victoria to see his father. Again, this had to be planned between medical appointments for vaccinations and my next maintenance chemotherapy session on February 28. As mentioned in my previous post, we decided to go to Victoria, B.C. from February 7 through to February 21.

As mentioned in my previous post, Father-in-law passed away on February 14 so Hubby extended his stay until February 28 although due to delayed flights and missed connections he didn’t make it home until March 1.

So for the last 2 years, we have endured an overwhelming amount of adversity. Our daughter lost everything she owned and then her beloved Grandpa within 24 hours. A necklace that Grandpa gave her for her high school graduation went up in flames. This hit her hard. In the midst of it all, another necklace that Grandpa gave her many years ago was believed to also gone up in flames. It was a heart pendant and he had engraved “My Grandaughter, My Joy” on the back of it. Daughter sobbed uncontrollably on the phone when she told me it went up in flames along with an afghan I knit for her when she was 12. Well, I found the heart pendant in her room at our home minus the chain. Daughter’s words were “It’s these small things that get us through.” She has already learned as a young woman that family, friends and community help support us when a tragedy occurs.

How true this is! It is the small moments that we must hold tight to. It is the moments that create good lasting memories we must remember. It is the support of family, friends and church community that get us through adversity. As I continue to battle the sinus cold that is not improving, I could get overwhelmed and sink into a pit of despair. But instead, I count my blessings. As for the afghan, I am knitting Daughter another one as I battle this cold that lingers on. As I count my blessings, I have wonderful friends that I have been able to visit with, sing with and enjoy. In 2017 amidst the diagnostic process, I was able to get away for a few days on the motorcycle and enjoy a brief holiday watching baseball, enjoying time with Hubby and making lasting memories. As I went through hospitalization, I was able to enjoy visits with family and good friends. In 2018, I had a 3 week trip on the motorcycle throughout Ontario as my oncologist advised that I do not travel too far from home. This trip was a wonderful break and a real blessing. It provided opportunities to meet up with family and friends. 2018 also gave me the opportunity to enjoy my yard and gardens while spending time outdoors with the birds, warm sunshine and butterflies. Even in the midst of the last 6 weeks, Hubby and I were able to make lasting memories with his father. We enjoyed moments of laughter. We managed to get him to eat. We were able to spend time with him at home.

We all have adversity in our lives. It could be very easy to fall into a negative spiral downwards and become an unhappy person. It is important to acknowledge our negative circumstances, but it is equally important to count our blessings. It is important to reach out to family and friends. It is most important to have our faith and spirituality nourished. I look at my family, my friends and my faith community as my safety net. They are there in good and bad times. In the good times, we create warm and lasting memories together. In the bad times, we support each other and help each other through the adversity. I truly thank God for my family, friends and my church family.