The Beauty in Suffering

She always apologizes for her hair.  I see nothing but her beauty.  I see her sacrifices for souls.  I see her port in her right shoulder and her tri-line in the other shoulder.  I see her C-section scar and other scars that only a handful know about.  I truly think she couldn't be more beautiful than she is now.  I love her hair.  I love her heart more.  I love her beautiful and suffering eyes.

Last weekend, several of my siblings came to be with her as she received her second round of chemo.  She will have a PET scan Oct. 20th to show if the cancer is gone.  If it is gone, they will do one more round of chemo.  If it is not, they will finish chemo and begin radiation.

It is our privilege to sit beside her during this time.  I wish I could accompany her to every blood draw, every scan, every consult, but right now God did not want that.  She always tells us that our duties are at home and that makes her most happy.  She is such a person of resolve.  She sees God in EVERYONE.  I mean EVERYONE.  She listens to her doctors and accepts what they tell her to do-no questions.  She knows God has a plan for her. She suffers so well.

She is my dearest of friends.  I haved loved her my whole life.  She asked me why I was taking pictures of her.  I do want to remember this time with her, but more importantly I always take pictures of beautiful things I see.  I SEE nothing but beauty. 

Before getting sick, she worked out at CrossFit most days.  She continued her workouts even after being diagnosed.  She is so strong.  She set a goal to do 100 squats everyday no matter what.  She has kept them up even during chemo.  We went for a walk down the hall and did some stretches together.   She said it felt so good after laying in a bed for five days.  Isn't she amazing!

I told her I took a Pure Barre class so she wanted to try some of those moves and stretches. 

There is never a baby she doesn't want to hold or love.  I inherited my love of babies from her. 

She requested that evening to watch the new Cinderella movie.  It was so fun.  We got snacks and turned down the lights.  She loved it.

Chemo meds

Her last day was very difficult with nausea and headaches.  The nurses really worked with her to help make her comfortable.  Thank you, my mother, for suffering so well.  Thank you for loving us enough to offer your life for ours and those we love.  Thank you for blazing the trail.  She gave us many gifts and showed us much love, but right now she is doing her greatest work confined to a bed in a city that is not her home.  She is suffering so that her children and others may get to heaven.

John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, but to lay down his life for his friends."