A Beautiful Expression of Love
Tonight, I received a call from my mother while she was vacationing in Hawaii with my father. Their trip together is monumental for many reasons.
My mom has always wanted to go to Hawaii, but my dad prefers the dry air and rugged mountains. For years, my mother has given up her dream of a lush tropical vacation for him. My dad is a loving, giving man and out of my mothers love she never pushed a trip to Hawaii. Thinking about their relationship, I honestly don't know who I would classify as the biggest giver of the two.
The point of this story is that five years ago my mother had breast cancer. It was a scary time for my dad and for me. I try not to think about that period in time because I am very close to my mother and death was a high possibility. The cancer had spread into her lymph nodes and this heightened the severity of the cancer. As a result, she had to have chemo and radiation. There were good times during her treatment, but overall it was filled with an immense amount of concern. This time in my life changed me, it changed all of us. This year marks her fifth anniversary of being cancer free.
The fifth year is a huge landmark for cancer survivors. The percentage rate for it returning drops dramatically. As a celebration of her life, my father surprised her a couple of months ago with the gift of Hawaii. He told her that the planning was up to her and that he wanted her to pick out all the things for them to do.
Having my mother call me from Hawaii brought forth so many feelings and memories to the surface. I tend to live as if the fear of losing her to cancer never existed. I don't talk about it much and I never go into prolonged details. One may hear snippets of the experiences that I had, but I never tell the whole story.
I am thankful that she survived and that they are having a glorious evening in what she described as a movie set. My parents are dear to me. Being an only child has made them such an integral part of my life. I love them fully.
My mom has always wanted to go to Hawaii, but my dad prefers the dry air and rugged mountains. For years, my mother has given up her dream of a lush tropical vacation for him. My dad is a loving, giving man and out of my mothers love she never pushed a trip to Hawaii. Thinking about their relationship, I honestly don't know who I would classify as the biggest giver of the two.
The point of this story is that five years ago my mother had breast cancer. It was a scary time for my dad and for me. I try not to think about that period in time because I am very close to my mother and death was a high possibility. The cancer had spread into her lymph nodes and this heightened the severity of the cancer. As a result, she had to have chemo and radiation. There were good times during her treatment, but overall it was filled with an immense amount of concern. This time in my life changed me, it changed all of us. This year marks her fifth anniversary of being cancer free.
The fifth year is a huge landmark for cancer survivors. The percentage rate for it returning drops dramatically. As a celebration of her life, my father surprised her a couple of months ago with the gift of Hawaii. He told her that the planning was up to her and that he wanted her to pick out all the things for them to do.
Having my mother call me from Hawaii brought forth so many feelings and memories to the surface. I tend to live as if the fear of losing her to cancer never existed. I don't talk about it much and I never go into prolonged details. One may hear snippets of the experiences that I had, but I never tell the whole story.
I am thankful that she survived and that they are having a glorious evening in what she described as a movie set. My parents are dear to me. Being an only child has made them such an integral part of my life. I love them fully.
posted by Caryn at 10:32 PM
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