Friday, February 24, 2012

Finding purpose through cancer......


On May 18th my sister, nephew and I will be participating in the Relay for Life.  That is 84 days from now so the countdown is on.  What was originally intended to be a walk in honor of our dad’s five year remission mark has now turned into a show of force in his newest battle of cancer!    That means we have 84 days to prepare….to get in shape physically and mentally, to raise money and bring awareness to finding a cure.
In the last few days I have learned of three more friends and family members whose lives have now been touched in some way by cancer.  This does not include a long list of friends and family that were already engaged in their own fight against cancer or other serious health issues.  I am sure I am more sensitive to the news now simply because I know how lives will be changed because of this diagnosis.  I cannot imagine how many more people’s lives will be touched and changed in the next 84 days due to a cancer diagnosis.  Some of those will be people that I know and love and others will be complete and total strangers.  Regardless my heart goes out to all of them and their families!  I can relate to the initial shock, sadness, fear, anger and then the eventual feeling of HOPE…at least in my case… as we decide to fight this dreaded disease.   
 I honestly wish I could do more for others that find themselves fighting for their health.   This has been heavy on my mind and heart for the last few weeks.   I believe we all want to be there for our family and friends during their times of trials.  We often extend our prayers and offers of help.  I want to do more! I don’t want my words to be just words.  I want to put action behind them.   While praying is important....I want to be able to do more than add someone to my prayer list.  I want to be able to truly be there….doing something…offering encouragement…helping meet their needs in their time of need!
So in my time of quiet reflection this week, this has brought me to really examine what is the purpose of my  life.  Please don’t mistake this as me questioning the meaning of life.  I’m certainly not ready to delve into something quiet that deep.  I’ve just paused to consider…what is MY purpose?  Sure, I have many roles to which I bring purpose…as a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, etc…. but in the  big picture of life what has been MY purpose?  What have I accomplished?  Have I made a difference in the lives of others?  I want to!    Have I helped when I could?  I’ve tried to!  Have I done more good than bad?  I hope so!  Have I reached out when I should?  I’m not sure… I think I may have fallen short .
 Is it possible that cancer has forced me to seek purpose for my life?  I think so…..


The way you get meaning into your life
is to devote yourself to loving others,
devote yourself to your community around you,
and devote yourself to creating something
that gives you purpose and meaning
- Mitch Albom
For more information on you can donate to Relay for Life please click on the following link.   http://main.acsevents.org/goto/jrkidwell


Monday, February 13, 2012

Love is in the air! (and at Harris Ft. Worth - Rm 728)

It’s Valentine’s Eve and no one can deny that love is in the air.  No sooner than the stores had cleared out their Christmas merchandise did hey begin ushering in the Valentine goodies. All one has to do is darken the doorway of say Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens, etc and you are bombarded with the trappings of the holiday…..Valentine cards, heart-shaped boxes of candy and of course flowers!  I think it is wonderful that we have one day set aside to celebrate love.  Honestly though I think love should be celebrated EVERY day regardless of the type of love….romantic love, love for our family and friends or our love of Jesus!
Tomorrow will mark six years since my dad began his first fight with the ugly ‘C’ word-----C.A.N.C.E.R!   I cannot think of a word I dislike more.  We were so thankful that he was able to beat it and go into remission for five sweet years.  Now that he is having to fight cancer again, a new type of cancer no less,  I think of how unfair it is that anyone should have to suffer what he has endured these last few months.  I would like to think that one of the things helping him through this is the LOVE of his family.  He is the one having to do the fighting but be assured we are not just sitting quietly by on the sidelines by any means.  We are more than observers, we are more than cheerleaders, we are actively involved in all aspects of his care and treatment.    (Just ask his nurses about us…but be prepared you might get an earful)  Whether it is attending doctor’s appointments, keeping up with his meds, or overnight hospital stays…..we do all that we do because we LOVE him!  Love can be a powerful thing!  I love the following verse:  
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance. ~ I Corinthians 13:7 
How true it is!  God’s love for us is amazing and while we may never truly comprehend the depth of his love I do know the depth of my love for him and for my family.  As a family our love will see us through any trial, we will never give up, we will never lose faith and we will always be hopeful through EVERY circumstance.    
So as the rest of the world spends Valentine’s Day exchanging cards, sending flowers, and sampling delicious chocolates from their candy box, I will be celebrating the day with my  family at the hospital  and  I will be thankful for them and  the love that we share….the romantic love for my husband, my motherly love for my boys, my daughterly love for my parents, my sisterly love for Amy Lou, and the love I have for all of my family and friends.   My hope is that everyone loves and feels loved tomorrow and every day!  Because seriously…love is in the air!
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  ~2 Corinthians 13:13-14