The C Word – A New Battle Day 210 - A Valentine Day Story

Today is Valentine’s Day 2017.  A day set aside to celebrate love.  Mostly commercial these days – evident with the overpriced flowers and candy for sale.

But we know that one should celebrate love each and every day, for love cannot be taken for granted… life cannot be taken for granted.

For those of us who are married, we remember our marriage vows.  We promised on that day to love, honor and cherish our partner.  We promised to laugh and cry together.  We promised to love in times of sickness and in health.  We promised to stand side-by-side until death do us part.

These vows can sometimes be tested in those difficult times.  Most of us will experience times of financial troubles, or difficulties dealing with work related issues.  Sometimes our times of trial or short lived and other times can go on for what seems a life-time. 

George and I are a bit melancholy today as we received news last night that a fellow PMP survivor took a turn for the worst.  Having been declared “NED” (No Evidence of Disease) this past fall and knowing that he had been doing exceptionally well since his surgery (which, by coincidence was exactly one year after George’s first surgery), he exemplified what everyone with this disease wishes for.  Recently he’s been experiencing symptoms of a bowel obstruction.  CT scans were done and it looked like he had one caused by scar tissue in his bowel tract.  He was scheduled for surgery yesterday to take care of that.  Apparently they found that not only had the cancer returned but it is aggressive.  I do not have all the details as to what happened yesterday.  But I do know full well what he and his family are going through.  Those words “we can’t get it all” ring loud in my mind.  It is a shock!  Surreal.  My heart goes out to the family as they deal with the news that there is no further treatment available to him. For ourselves, we don’t know whether or not further surgery is an option.

What I do know is this.  Like our family, our friends’ family is deeply spiritual.  Firmly entrenched in faith and in God’s love for them.  His daughter stated that “so many people… are praying for a miracle… but watch for that miracle to be what God wants, not what we want”. 

We always stand on Hope and Faith and Love.  It is during our trials that reaching inside ourselves for these things keeps us on a forward path. 

It is during these times that we turn to those whom we love.  If married, it is our spouse that we lean on for support and encouragement.  It all goes back to that promise that we made in our vows. 

So today, on Valentine’s Day, my wish is that you have someone in your life that you can lean on.  More importantly, I pray you have a God that you can turn to. An ever-present God who will never leave you.   

One of the sayings that was printed at my church growing up.  “God is Love” . We know that Love Never Fails!