"I am a very lucky girl"

Yesterday, while I was brushing my teeth next to my mom, who was getting ready for our outing, she said to me, "You know, I am a very lucky girl." Mostly just because I didn't want toothpaste to spray everywhere, I didn't say anything, and just waited for her to continue.

"You don't really realize how many friends you have and how many people love you and care about you until something like this happens. Even people that I really only see once a year or so, like my friend Janet, are making me feel loved. I am really lucky."

Mom only sees Janet once a year at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk when they work at the registration table. Last night, Janet brought over dinner for my parents and stayed and enoyed it with them. It is very touching to see this type of love and care, especially from a person who only sees my mom once a year.

However, people that are lucky enough to spend more time with my mom know just how special she really is. From the first week in the hospital, this was very obvious. The nurses visited her on their lunch breaks, and she quickly learned about their fiances, wedding plans, school schedules, kids' names, and house-buying adventures. These relationships have only grown with each visit and stay in the hospital. The morning I took her to have emergency fluids, when she was admitted with the infection, she looked at one of the nurses in the office, Matt, and even though she could barely catch her breath and she was crying and feeling miserable, she looked at him and asked, "Did you get a haircut? I like it." I couldn't help but laugh quietly at this.

She has always taken time to get to know people in her life on different levels, and has always gone to great lengths to make sure they know they are cared for. Even the ones that "poke" her with needles, deliver bad news, and may only see her once a year. Of course, being her daughter and being able to spend the majority of my time with her, I am able to see these relationships blossom, and to be honest, I am often in awe of them.

After she was diagnosed, she was "assigned" a nurse in her oncologist's office, Barb. Barb was expecting her first grandchild, and only after several days of knowing Barb, she knew the baby's gender, name, and the feelings of love and acticipation Barb possessed for the baby's arrival. She even bought her a "grandma's brag book" photo album to give to her at the next office visit. She is unbelievably thoughtful, and pays attention to small details most people wouldn't even catch.

This post is much shorter than all my last, because I don't have much to say regarding this subject. Of course, I could continue on and on with examples and stories of how special she is, and if you are reading this and unfortunately haven't had the pleasure of meeting her, be assured, you are missing out on the opportunity to know such a wonderful, wonderful person. I only hope that you have people like this in your life, and that if you haven't found one yet, that you take the time to look for the good in your loved-ones and the wonderful things they do for others. You, through them, will feel fulfilled and happy to be around them. Being around her makes me feel complete, and loved, and wanting to do good for others in my life. These types of people, these people that make you want to be a better human being, are truly gifts from God that should be treasured forever.

I love her with more than I could ever put into words.