Ride On!

Today I received another e-mail that is meant to be passed ont o everyone inyour address book. This one was for cancer, not one type, but for many. I usually do not forward these because they come around so often and we all are inundated with so many. Today, though, I did as my oldest daughter's mother-in-law died early this AM from cancer that started in her liver and spread to her colon, brain. In the end growing as many tumors under her skin.

We have the grand kids again this weekend as I have, for the past 2, made flying trips to meet them in Dubuque, IA and bring them back with me. It has been pretty hectic, to say the least. I saw Sandy on Fri., a wasted body in a semi-curled, fetal position in the hospital bed in her living room. The only response was a moan if one touched her. My daughter said she did smile when the youngest, 6 yr. old Alexia, arrived and told her that she was there, that she loved her. Xavier, being a typical bumbling 12 yr. old boy, said he would miss her. John, a not-so-typical 13 yr. old prayed with her. He is sometimes old and wiser than some adults I know, the next minute he is 13. I sometimes wonder if that has to do with his being a very sick premature baby who was not supposed to survive past 6 months of conception. He was resuscitated at birth, had major surgery at 3 days when he was finally stabilized enough to tolerate the procedure, became even more ill 3 times after that and it was a touchy situation on many occasions. I wonder what his soul has seen and experienced that even he does not realize, as only by the grace of GOD is he with us.

While my last visit was not pleasant, I will remember Sandy 3 weeks ago when we were able to help her fulfill one of her last wishes, a ride on a Harley Davidson. She said it had been 20 years since she had been on one and she wanted that feeling just one last time. So a trip to Dubuqe on a sunny Sunday and over a hundred miles on the back of Dick's Ultra satisfied that wish. While it took 3 of us to get her on the back of that bike and 3 to get her off, it was worth it. I will remember the smile that never left her face for the entire ride, her face tilted upward into the sun, the wind in her hair and sometimes her arms reaching to heaven. As the saying goes, "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand."

Ride on Sandy, Ride on!