day 92 ~ hope

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"Hope is like a road in the country; 

there was never a road, 

but when many people walk on it, 

the road comes into existence."  

~Lin Yutang

This is the first of two trees created at our school's Art Night. 

Each student created a branch. 

I assisted with trunk, roots, and swing.

~*~

On Hope ~

Will you join with me in prayer, 

all good thoughts, 

loving juju, 

and general white light vibes 

for two very important men in my life?

Rory ~

Rory is my step-dad. (My dad died of cancer when I was 12 years old.)

Rory has been dealing with cancer for half of his life, 28 years of his 56.  He is, by all standards, a medical marvel. His power of positive thinking, his sheer determination to live, are an inspiration. He was never supposed to survive the cancer he survived when he was 28 years old. 

But, he did. 

It returned a couple of more times, along with other ailments, and still he knew he would overcome, and so he has.

Just before this past Christmas, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and was scheduled to fly to New York to be treated by one of this country's finest surgeons. During preliminary tests, they discovered that he also had (past tense intentional and incredibly bull-headed) an inoperable tumor in one of the exit areas of stomach to bowel. Prostate cancer treatment had to be postponed until this tumor had been dealt with. 

He is currently undergoing chemo-therapy, in order to shrink the tumor to operable size. (It has shrunk after only 3 treatments.) In the meantime, the prostate cancer has been treated with hormones, in order to halt its growth. (Test results show that its growth has halted.)

Gary ~

Gary is my uncle, my mom's only brother. 

Gary has lived a life of conscientious care. For all of his adult life, he has eaten right, exercised, and has indulged in no addictions or bad habits. In all of his 62 years, he was only once before in the hospital and that was for a virus he contracted while in the navy.

Lately, he has been experiencing chest pains. 

Today, he was scheduled for an angioplasty. 

They were unable to perform the procedure due to extensive blockage and have scheduled a quadruple bi-pass for this Friday.

Not surprisingly, we are all shocked by this news.

Both of these men were and are the primary father figures in my life, after my dad's passing. When I think of how difficult all of this is for me to process, and try to regain my center so that I can maintain being a positive force of love and hope, I think of how difficult it must be for my mom.

~*~

 

Prayer, by any name, matters. 

If you care to join with me here, 

we sure could use the community, 

the communion.

Thank you.

~*~

[It was not my intention to take this lovely tree made by the students of our school and cast shadows upon it. Though, truly, what else could I possibly heart-share when putting together a post on Hope?]

wire baby tree ~ our sweet & talented students

image ~ misha

hope ~ LOVE