For twenty years, God granted me the gift of walking with families through pediatric oncology treatments at St. Jude. I am forever grateful for them.
I have never lost my sense of awe and wonder for the Peoria St. Jude Telethon and the Memphis to St. Jude Run. You cannot really describe it. It must be experienced.
A special shout out to the "local runs", if you want to call running from Chicago or St. Louis to Peoria "local" because some of them literally run a Marathon on run day. It blows me away. Their commitment and their passion is humbling.
For the medical teams who care for pediatric oncology patients... their patient families become a part of your family. You know them all. The Grandpas and the Grandmas were addressed in whatever way the patient addressed them. Grammy's, Mimi's, Gigi's, and Noni's were well known. So were Aunt Cindy's, Aunt Mindy's, Aunt Maggie's, Grandpa Harry's, and Uncle Mike's. Siblings, cousins, and other extended family members helped so parents could take a breath or keep their jobs. Treatment days could be long. We got to know them well. They let us share their journey... both the celebrations and the pain.
Cancer treatments are long and rarely kind to body, mind, spirit, and soul. It takes all kinds of support. Even with support, there is no promise of the outcome you want. Still, there is always hope. Hope can come in the form of healing... or at the end of a long, weary road when a Heavenly healing arrives with the deepest of griefs. Cancer is not fair.
"Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past." -Psalm 25:4-6
When God led me into the next chapter of my career, I asked him for very clear signs. He provided. He knew leaving St. Jude would not be easy. In His unfailing compassion, He allowed me continued connections with many St. Jude families in my community (one might have promised to stalk me... and I am so glad she did) and nearby. The truth is, the St. Jude family is so wide-spread, I did not really leave them all behind.
Woven into the fabric of our lives and stitched into our hearts forever, every St. Jude family that came through Morton Jr. High was extra special. One of those was sweet Tess. I actually knew her Mama, Libby, as a teen. We danced at the same weddings. We knew the same people. We were at the same bridal and baby showers. When I left St. Jude, it seemed as if it would be forever before Tess and siblings would be with me at school.
The same for the Riddle girls. I knew they were coming...but I had to wait. Kayci and Shelby came... but Lanie's healing would be in Heavenly before junior high. Romans 12:12 was her verse and it is still inspiring that she chose it.
"Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying." -Romans 12:12
Lanie was all of those things. I can still see her sweet face that is forever in my memories.
One of my favorite verses comes not long after hers. My dear friend, Donna Davis Roth, and I captured this one in a Sunday School class. We quoted it to each other often when she was still with us. It sums up loving people and being present with them through cancer.
"Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep." -Romans 12:15
If we do these things, we are tending to widows, orphans, and the broken-hearted. Mix that with Lanie's reminder to "keep on praying" and you have a pretty good recipe for getting through the hard days and making the most of the celebrations.
The picture is from Tess's High School Graduation party. She is planning to be a Special Education teacher. She is amazing in every way. It seems like only yesterday we were pretending to be Ariel and Ursula with her Ariel Barbie. Today, she is a St. Jude Memphis Runner. Hope floats!
Today, I am grateful for St. Jude.
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