Just a few weeks ago I was in Nashville doing a gig at The Bluebird Cafe (Mecca for songwriters, and one of the items on my bucket list), and one afternoon I got a call from my mom. She’s good about checking in with me, but her tone seemed a little different as she began the conversation.
“Son, I have something wrong with me, but I am not going to discuss it with you right now. Just pray for me.”
And that was it.
So, I waited a few days and called her back and asked her if she was better. She said “no”, and we talked about her maybe going in to see her GP. She doesn’t really like doctors, but we made an appointment and Susie and I took her in for an examination.
Her doctor was immediately concerned and sent her out to get a mammogram that revealed that she had a lump. And, yes, it turned out to be malignant. The good news? It’s localized and treatable. We’ve begun the healing process by having a port put in last week for chemo, and they removed one of her lymph nodes to test it. She came through that operation with flying colors.
She is a woman of faith, and it comes through loud and clear. She is unafraid. Her actions say so. Her speech says so. “I’m 80, for heaven’s sake. Four score. God has an appointed time for me. This might be it. He will heal me of all my diseases except the last one.”
I have learned many lessons from my mom over the years, many of which I have put in the book. I recently re-learned the importance of a complement to a woman, and I learned it from her doctor no less. He had never met mom, and when he walked into the room, his first words to her were: “My, your chart says you’re 80, but you certainly don’t look 80. You look 20 years younger than that.”
She has talked about that every day since then! “My doctor says I look 60″ she’ll say out of the blue, as if to remind us all in case we forgot.
She’s a treasure. Good wishes, cards, and prayers are coming from all over the place. A sure sign of a life well-lived, an unselfish life devoted to others.
We’re just starting this war, and I for one hope to God she wins it. I’m convinced she still has important work to do here.
I’ll report back to you all from the battlefield. Thanks in advance for your prayers, kindness, and concern.
