"Eternity. It is the sea mingles with the sun..."

Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright! My day was a long yet difficult one, praise God though. Took Jennif w/me tonite to yfc and was juss oodles of fun! She met all the coo peeps that i was able to meet a long time ago. Then we went to in n out and ate, then we were dancing in the curr to this like ol skool techno music i guess you could say. haha it was lots of fun, we were able to catch up. I remember that one time when reirich said to me online, 'catch up ketchup' it was funny cuz it was so random too. Speaking of the fellow, i saw a reirich look a like at mass on sun. Craziness i tell ya! Wel lthat bout sums up my day, i read another d0pe story that im going to shurr w/yall. On top of that, the author of this particular story is catholic.

The Joy of Easter
Eight years have passed since the day i pulled into the driveway of our family home to find my life forever changed. I looked up to see our seveenteen-year-old son writhing in excruciating pain in our front yard. He was so incapacitated, he was unable to tell me what was the matter.
Once at the hospital, he was diagnosed with an extremely rare and deadly cancer called 'Burkitt's lymphoma.'

Arrangements were quickly made to fly him south to vancouver general hospital where he could receieve the care he needed. On thanksgiving day our family gathered together and prayed in the hospital chapel for courage and strength. Later that nite, my son and i boarded the air ambulance. Looking out the small window, i could see the darkening blue sky. For a moment the beauty spared me from the fear and pain i was feeling.

Then the darkness of the night sky was upon us, and everything was suddenly silent. I remembered Father Forde once saying that we couldnt find God in nature, and at that present moment i experienced just that. I felt God's presence. It was at tthat moment that i was able to surrender our difficult journey into God's hands.

When we arrived, the medical staff were ready and waiting, and within minutres i was told that he would not live to see the morning. I asked them to please do what they could for his pain, then i softly said, "Only God knows when someone is going to die." Judging from the looks on their faces, i was sure they all thought i was some religous nut.

Morning arrived, and he had made it through the nite. Days and then weeks of radiation and chemo followed. Gradually, the cancer was forced into remission. A bone-marrow transplant was his only hope, and miraculously both his older sister and younger brother were perfect matches. Soon healthy bone marrow was flowing into his depleted body.
The transplant was only a temp. success, however, and all too soon the cancer came back with deadly force. Once again, we were told that there was no chance of survival, and this time we knew it was true.

That evening in the darkness of his hospital room, my son bravely asked, "Wha will it be like to be dead?" I didnt know what to say. I felt so unsure. I tried to be honest and tell him what i felt or believed. I told him how each day i was glad to be alive, that i awlays looked forward to going to heaven, and now he would be there to greet me when i arrived. We could not talk anymore. OUr words were choked by sobbing tears, but words werent really necessary. Death was no longeer our enemy. After talking about it and praying, it all took on a different meaning. It was the start of a new journey, from life to death, to eternity and to God.

The following days were spent planning his funeral,which he called his 'going away party.' He had very specifici requests for this event, down to wanting balloons at his funeral. I told him that i had my doubts as to balloons, but he said, 'Ask Fr. Forde.' He'll let us have them.'
He wanted to be cremaed and have his ashes scattered at his favorite places. He wanted a small wooden cross overlooking the ocean at his grandparents' home in Nova Scotia that said, "Peace is seeing a susnet and knowing who to thank." I had my misgivings, but he said, "Mom, just do it. God will understand."

He was quickly slipping away from us. He had been fed by IV for months now and had waited patiently for the day he could eat pizza again. I lost control and screamed that even the worse criminal on death row gets his choice of a last meal, and my son couldnt even have pizza! I heard his soft voice say, 'Mom, i had Holy Communion this morning. I have all the food i need.' I knew at that moment that all our prayers were being heard. He was no longer afraid to die, and i was no longer afraid to elt him go. He had surrendered himself to God.

He died in my arms on Ash Wednesday. His last words were, 'MOm, it is a beautiful day to die."
His funeral was a celebration of life. THe chuch was full of his friends holding balloons that were to be relased with prayers inside them. HIs ashes were scattered as he had asked. His grandfather lovingly made a wooden cross that stands facing the sea.

A few years passed before i was to visit his cross again. Walking across the moors towards the sea, i saw a man and his two children placing willdflowers on teh cross. AS i approached he looked up. "DId you know the family?" he asked. My reply was joyous as i said, "This boy was my son."

I stayed for a while as we all silently watched the sun set into crimson sky.
My eyes turning toward the engraved cross, and i took in the meaning of the words as if for the first time. My heat was full, and the moment brought tears to my eyes. It was clear to all of us who to thank for this moment, and i could hear my son saying, "God will understand."

Highlight of the day: Chillin w/jennif laughing, talking and juss being thankful to God for all the continous blessings i receive from him.

Im going to jars of clay concert! yay!


"So I wear my disguise till I go home at night and I turn down all the lights and then I break down and cry..."im done, im out GOd bless!