Today is The Pastor’s birthday!
She is 72.
Birthdays are always a special occasion in our household, but today?
Especially, so.
The Pastor has been fighting cancer for much of her adult life.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer when The Chef and canape were kids. Years later, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
They were living in California at the time where she was serving as an associate pastor. Middle Man was born that July and because of her diagnosis and treatments, she and our Pawpaw were unable to travel to Mississippi to see their new grandson until he was 10 months old.
Finally, she got the “all clear” from her Dr. to travel, and they flew to Mississippi and came to stay with us in Laurel.
Not only did they come to see their new grandson for the first time, but also for The Pastor to baptize him. What an awesome thing!
At this point, I have to say that I have the MOST wonderful mother-in-law in the world. Not many girls can say that. From the very beginning, her gentle ways, soft words, and kind heart have endeared her to me.
But y'all? That week that she and Pawpaw were with us?
She came to welcome, love, and baptize her new grandson, just days after her last chemo treatment.
She still had her gentle ways, soft words and kind heart, but I saw a different side to her.
It wasn’t anything she said and it wasn’t anything she did, but the side I saw was fully represented in her bald head and face devoid of eyebrows or eyelashes.
All I could think, when I looked at this woman who had already gone through so many hardships throughout her childhood and life, was that THAT was what true womanhood was all about.
I thought that her bald head was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
It represented to me the fear, anger, desperation, sheer resolve, and submission to a Higher Power it must take on anyone’s part to be in the fight for their life. To face the fear of the unknown and to defy death’s grip.
Several years later, she was diagnosed with metastasized ovarian cancer that was inoperable. The prognosis wasn’t good, and she and Pawpaw uprooted their lives and moved from CA to just around the corner from us in TN.
It just so happens, that they arrived in TN on Thanksgiving Day, 2006.
Y’all? The Pastor has lived years past her poor prognosis.
She is still fighting cancer each and every day.
Every birthday is an extra special gift.
We thank God every day that she is with us!
Even after all these years of fighting the cancer demon, she continues to love and serve others in the same gentle way, with the soft and kind words that she always has.
Happy Birthday, Pastor!
We can’t wait to celebrate for many more years!!
They were living in California at the time where she was serving as an associate pastor. Middle Man was born that July and because of her diagnosis and treatments, she and our Pawpaw were unable to travel to Mississippi to see their new grandson until he was 10 months old.
Finally, she got the “all clear” from her Dr. to travel, and they flew to Mississippi and came to stay with us in Laurel.
Not only did they come to see their new grandson for the first time, but also for The Pastor to baptize him. What an awesome thing!
At this point, I have to say that I have the MOST wonderful mother-in-law in the world. Not many girls can say that. From the very beginning, her gentle ways, soft words, and kind heart have endeared her to me.
But y'all? That week that she and Pawpaw were with us?
She came to welcome, love, and baptize her new grandson, just days after her last chemo treatment.
She still had her gentle ways, soft words and kind heart, but I saw a different side to her.
It wasn’t anything she said and it wasn’t anything she did, but the side I saw was fully represented in her bald head and face devoid of eyebrows or eyelashes.
All I could think, when I looked at this woman who had already gone through so many hardships throughout her childhood and life, was that THAT was what true womanhood was all about.
I thought that her bald head was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
It represented to me the fear, anger, desperation, sheer resolve, and submission to a Higher Power it must take on anyone’s part to be in the fight for their life. To face the fear of the unknown and to defy death’s grip.
Several years later, she was diagnosed with metastasized ovarian cancer that was inoperable. The prognosis wasn’t good, and she and Pawpaw uprooted their lives and moved from CA to just around the corner from us in TN.
It just so happens, that they arrived in TN on Thanksgiving Day, 2006.
Since then, she’s not only baptized Dogos, as you see above, but two of my precious nephews, as well.
Y’all? The Pastor has lived years past her poor prognosis.
She is still fighting cancer each and every day.
Every birthday is an extra special gift.
We thank God every day that she is with us!
Even after all these years of fighting the cancer demon, she continues to love and serve others in the same gentle way, with the soft and kind words that she always has.
Happy Birthday, Pastor!
We can’t wait to celebrate for many more years!!
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