Dear Reader:

Yesterday morning I was catching up writing some notes to friends and family…consisting of sympathy, birthday, and new home/move cards. After I had finished I went out on the deck (with my heavy bathrobe on…burr!) and my heart lit up.

The early morning sun’s rays  caught Jakie’s Japanese Maple in its cross-hairs and Moses’ burning bush could not have been more spectacular. It appeared to be on fire! Just breath-taking!

Later when I talked to Mandy I told her about the experience and told her that I thought everything was going to be fine with Jakie. (From birth he has had allergy problems which expanded with age….allergic to milk, eggs, and nuts. Now he has to have breathing treatments for environmental/seasonal allergies.)

Obviously it causes a considerable amount of concern and watchfulness to stay on top of all this….and it has put Jakie in a very low category for  appropriate age weight which is worrisome to his family.

I remember when this tree sapling was first planted, along with Lachlan’s and Rutledge’s trees… Jakie’s looked kind of funny. Instead of just one sturdy stem emerging from its roots it had three branches growing out. One person’a advice was to go ahead and divide it or cut off a couple of stems so all the energy could go towards the one major artery. Another friend told me to leave it alone….nature would right it if needed (after all Mother Nature is pretty good at doing what is best) and that is what happened. *Thanks Anne for the advice

The little “Jakie” tree has such a strong foundation with three major stem/branches it is a force to be reckoned with….I told Mandy that I thought it was symbolic of Jakie’s health problems…a slow start but one day he will be a force to reckoned with in his own right.

A few years ago I never would have thought like that….I never saw everyday miracles happening right in front of me….but all that has changed since my encounter with “Little c.” (breast cancer) So today I want to send a belated, special thank you to it.

Dear Little c” 

Let me apologize for not sending you this card of appreciation earlier but sometimes, when it comes to dealing with you, it takes time to process all that is happening.

After all…it’s not as if I invited you into my life. Don’t take it personally but I always thought just ‘other people’ got invited to join your club. So when my invitation arrived…I must admit I was pretty shocked…actually, downright dumb-founded. 

Also, frankly at first I was quite intimidated by you…you appeared ‘bigger than life’ (producing a shadow that started blocking out the sun in mine) and your influence completely turned my life upside down.

Most days started with doctor visits which had been pretty rare in my other life. Then came ‘treatments.’ All kinds of them….chemo, radiation, and three surgeries. It didn’t leave much time or energy to think about you directly….I went through a long period of  simply “reacting” to all the medical stimuli aimed at me,  rather than processing the subtle but important changes coming into my life.

Membership in your club forced me to look at what I wanted to leave behind in my life….what was something that I could do to make the world a better place before departing? And then came the benchmark day of all benchmark days when St. Jude’s Chapel of Hope came into my life and for the first time I understood what my mission was. Do you know how freeing that is? Without you, “Little c” it wouldn’t have happened. 

And today?…I don’t hear from you much…I don’t know if you are still hiding somewhere deep inside or if I have been officially kicked out of your club but what I do know is that my life has never been the same since meeting you. 

I see miracles everywhere, everyday, I feel God Winks coming at me faster than I can take them in, I see the universe as one and our connection to it…I still hear God’s voice reminding me to trust in Him and hold His Hand. Some mornings I still have to unclench my own fingers from holding on so tightly. 

Where in the world would I be right now without you “Little c”….you taught me about life, love, and miracles. I chose life and love and miracles followed. 

Gratefully

Becky Dingle

P.S. Please take my name off the “Active” List and put it on the “Inactive” list. Then after a certain amount of time (that you deem appropriate) you have my happy permission to exclude me completely from your membership. 

………………………….

Let me share a “miracle” that I never would have noticed (“BLc”/Before Little c)…Big Red is out-doing itself I am happy to report…clusters of buds are appearing all over the plant. I did, however, have to cut off one stem…It had broken and was hanging off the bench, dragging on the porch floor.

I remember sweeping it and all the dirt over the side of the porch and forgot about it….until yesterday. Once again I was sweeping off the porch and just happened to glance down….the stem fell in just the right position to embed itself in the loose dirt and a baby “Little Red” is alive, and growing ..living near mom but not on it. A happy day all around.  “Big Red” is so proud and I feel like a new grandmother again….Welcome to the family “Little Red.”!

So until tomorrow…Father, Thank you for the adversities in our lives-they force us to leave our old comfort zones and reach out to hold Your Hand…where  a beautiful new adventure lies waiting on us. It is always worth the journey to get there.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* Today’s blog marks the 500th blog since Chapel of Hope Stories Part 2 began in late November 2014. Where does the time go? I’m just here for the ride as long as it lasts and what a wonderful ride it has been so far! Thanks for taking it with me! I love the company!