Tag Archives: Mom

A Hug For Mother’s Day

14 Saturday May 2011

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I was dropping off Emmy in the three year old room for MOPS when one of the mentor moms came up to me. “Oh,” she said as she enveloped me in a big mama bear hug, “I’ve been thinking about you this week!”

It was the week before Mother’s Day, and she had seen some Mother’s Day cards. Looking at them, she thought about how she hasn’t needed to buy a Mother’s Day card for several years now, and it still was hard. She thought about me losing my mom just a year and a half ago.

Oh, how I needed that hug! I needed that hug more than I even knew.

That Friday, Lily woke up with a fever. As the morning wore on, her temperature slowly went higher even after I gave her some Tylenol. She lay limply on the couch, not wanting to move. She wasn’t eating or drinking much. As I carried her from the TV room to the living room she told me she didn’t feel well, and then promptly threw up. It was barely anything to clean up since her stomach was empty, but I put a big bowl by her place on the couch and called the doctor.

Both Lily and her sister had had strep throat twice in April, so her doctor and I were relieved when the strep test was negative. I was to treat her symptoms at home and call if she got worse.

Saturday, Lily continued to have a fever and curled up in her favorite chair. Unused to seeing our vibrant child so inactive, Ed decided to entertain her. He danced and sang around the room, making us all laugh, even Lily. And then…he stepped back, landed on one foot right on the throw-up bowl (empty of contents) and fell hard. His ankle swelled instantly.

Fortunately, Ed’s sister happened to call a few minutes later, and I asked her to take Ed to the immediate care center by us. In one short hour he was home, no broken bones but a bad sprain.

We decided to cancel Mother’s Day.

Okay, that’s not really true. We just canceled the reservations at the fancy brunch we had planned on going to. I still took Emmy to church and sang in the choir that morning, ordering Lily (still feverish) and Ed to rest. The youth group gave all mothers a beautiful rose, and by the time Emmy and I got home, Lily was feeling better. So we went off for a low-key Mother’s Day lunch at Steak ‘n Shake.

That quick lunch wore out Lily, and her fever came back that afternoon. She rested, and I cried. I worried about Ed’s ankle, which kept him off his feet for most of the day. I wanted to call my mom.

But she is gone.

Instead, I got a phone call from my sister, who was also missing Mom.

By the end of the day, I was just grateful for all my blessings. Lily was feeling better (I kept her home from school for one more day; her fever went away and she is back to normal) and Ed’s ankle was not broken.

My thoughts went to the mentor mom who gave me a hug, who was also missing her mom on this day. I was grateful for that simple hug; grateful that someone else remembered that Mother’s Day would be difficult.

Simple BPM
For more simple moments that make up the bigger picture, visit Alita.

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An Open Letter to My Blog

02 Monday May 2011

Posted by in breast cancer

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Dear Lemon Drop Pie,

I am writing this letter to let you know I haven’t forgotten about you. Really. It’s just that I’ve been busy. Busy walking. This morning, for example, I woke up at 4:50 a.m. to get inan early walk before Ed left for work. Now, mind you, I didn’t get up when my alarm went off. I stayed in bed for an extra fifteen minutes, but eventually I got out the door. The air was crisp and clear, and I was able to walk two miles before six o’clock.

This past week, I walked a total of 22 miles, most of them on Saturday. Now, I’m not telling you this to brag, but to let you know where I’ve been. And no, I haven’t suddenly become a fitness guru, I’m just in training.

You see, I need to do something. I need to do more than write about being a breast cancer survivor; I need to do more than recruit women for the Army of Women by being one of their supporting bloggers. Writing and recruiting are both good things, and I’ll still be here, doing those things. But I also need to get up from my comfy chair and take action.

In June, I’ll be remembering that fifteen years ago I had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life; to have a mastectomy. Not only that, but one of your faithful readers has been lost. Lost to breast cancer. Do you remember what she wrote in your comments once? CMJHMom said, “We need to know the cause [of breast cancer], not just create the warm and fuzzy images of ‘survival’. I am still a victim, but that will not stop me!! I have too many precious people in my life. And, as always, I do know that God and His grace are always with me.” Just a couple of days before she died, she told me she did not want to give up. She was not ready to go.

And so I’m going to fight for her. I’m walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Chicago, and I’m going to be strong. I’m going to walk all 39.3 miles, no matter what.

The walk is still over 30 days away, and I’ve already been blown away by how generous people are. I needed to raise $1,800 to walk, and so many people are supporting me–including people who have never even met me! I’m amazed by their generosity.

One of these women is also a breast cancer survivor. Stacey, of Bringing Up Goliath, writes about surviving breast cancer in a very honest way. She first heard that devastating diagnosis two years ago, a diagnosis she never wanted to hear. For years she dreaded that she would hear that she had breast cancer, and her fears came true. You see, Stacey lost her mother to breast cancer. Stacey and her mom are two people for whom I’m walking.

Casey, writer of Half As Good As You, may have a potty mouth, but she is an incredible mother and she has a most generous soul. I have been hooked on Casey’s blog ever since I discovered it a couple of years ago. I’m so honored that Casey is supporting me in this walk!

I cannot praise Debby from Just Breathe enough. She has been following Lemon Drop Pie since she started blogging, and is the definition of generous. I once won her giveaway where she donated money to the American Cancer Society in memory of my mom. She is such a wonderful blogging friend!

I could go on and on about my friend and family’s generosity — I have already raised $2,005! It is my small wish that in raising this money, I will have played a part in finding the cause and a cure for breast cancer which may also lead to discoveries in research for other cancers.

And so, Lemon Drop Pie, you can see that I’ve been busy. But you are always in the back of my mind, and soon, I’ll start publishing posts more regularly. I promise!

Yours truly,
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