She Won

Having lived, she won.

Having loved, she won.

Having born and raised four beautiful children, she won.

Having fought valiantly for so long, she won.

Having her life stolen away by cancer's insidious, creeping horror, she's still a winner.

Win Susan...

Fatty, I've been reading you for a while, rarely commented...but I cheered when she could sit up, eat, drink, make jewelry, live a little more. I am so very sorry...

Aunt D

Last night my Aunt D slipped through the veil, surrounded by her husband, children, and grandchildren.

The moon was full and beautiful, and I am certain the Lady lit Aunt D's path. We'll miss her.

Aunt D and the Big "C"

I posted a while ago about my Aunt D. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It's not operable, and it's fatal.

Or is it?

Her cancer marker has shrunk. That's a good thing, as I understand it. In January, she will have some sort of test - if the magic number revealed by this test is 37 or lower, she is in remission. That's an even better thing.

So many people are sick, suffering, fighting on a cellular level for life. Maybe you have someone in your life with the gnawing demon inside them. I hope they win. Will you hope my Aunt D wins, too? If ever there was such a thing as magic, and if ever one could use this magic, I would make such a spell...one to set Aunt D's test score at zero, to vanquish the growing health-horror of cancer to the deepest, darkest reaches of the halls of disease, locked behind iron-bound oak doors that can never be opened again so that no one ever has to know they carry their own death in them, and it's devouring them millimeters at a time.

I don't pray, at least not in the way most people think of prayer. I do sing...and my songs are my prayers, my spells, the deepest root of the tree of me. You'd better believe that from now until the test results are in, I will be shaking the rafters for Aunt D, and for anyone else in her boat.

Sing with me, please?