Romans 8:28 - “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
I sat in the chair of the Edina doctor's office, to the right of my mom, masks on, twiddling our thumbs.
"It's actually weirdly comforting for a doctor's office of a radiation treatment center for cancer... that photo of the rocks is really bringing my heart rate down," I said, wholeheartedly.
"Shut up," Julie (probably said) half eye-roll, half laughing.
If you haven't noticed by now, I'm my mom's comic relief.
Minutes later, the doctor strolled in, curtly introduced himself... and got down to business.
25 treatments. Radiation and chemo. Julie will lose her hair.
My mom nodded and took it all in. My glances turned from the doctor to my mom back to the doctor, trying to read what her head was saying through a mask.
I stayed quiet during this meeting. I know my mom better than most people on this earth... she's a "matter-of-fact, let's get down to it" type lady. She's always been like this. When I was in high school and someone was mean to me because I missed the deadline to buy a parking pass, I would first call my dad for sympathy. He would console me and offer to buy me ice cream after school. Then I'd call up my mom and she would very distinctively say, "okay, here's what you need to do..." No sympathy. Just problem-solving.
The doctor finished up the rundown of what my mom’s life would be like for the next two months and then excused himself, saying he was “honored” to be apart of this case.
Whoa.
After he closed the door, there was about five seconds of silence.
“I feel like a star student,” Julie said with nothing but sincerity in her voice.
“You are such a kiss-ass,” I said. Which she is. But she’s a pretty adorable and tough kiss-ass.
So that brings us to today. November 30th, 2020. The day that my mom begins treatment for her grade four glioblastoma. A disease with a survival rate that you can google yourself.
The waiting for this day has been a journey in itself. We’ve prayed more as a family than in my entire 25 years of life.
I’ve talked to my siblings more in the past two months than I have in any two-month time span. We’ve shared our hearts more with one another more than we ever have.
My beloved aunt has visited Minnesota twice to be by mom’s side. A gift I will treasure forever.
The good Lord has shown me who is… and who isn’t… in my corner to help me through this. Emphasis on the isn’t. God brings people into our lives for reasons. But when we misinterpret the WHY, that can be dangerous, and leave us more heartbroken in the end.
Right now I sit next to my phone in my pajamas with a cup of coffee, waiting for a call from my dad. Treatment is supposed to be quick, but I have no idea how it will make my mom feel. I pray that she feels okay. I pray that she’ll be able to FaceTime and laugh and know that she has an army of people in her corner going to battle with her.
Romans 8:28 - “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
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