Can we stop and breathe or smell the flowers?

Can we stop and breath? Or smell the new budding flower? Or how about remember that it's still Easter week, Easter is just beginning.

Its Relay for Life weekend! I'm really excited but man do we have a lot to accomplish before tomorrow at 4pm. Relay has made me think a lot about my family, the ones that I have lost over cancer and the ones who have beat  the beast.

My Poppa was the first person I knew that died from cancer, but I was only 5 and did not realize that cancer was the reason for his death. I regret not kissing him good-bye every now and then. And each Easter season when the Fathers bring out the burning incense I am taken back to that afternoon we let him go. At 5 that was the GROSSES smell in the world, but is the only thing I remember from my Poppa's funeral.

Aunt Cheryl was the next person I knew that had cancer. But I was young once again and knew not how dangerous it was for her survival. She finished our Easter dresses one year because she needed something to do while she rested. She was a life saver for my mom, but really my mom giving her our dresses to finish was something to keep her going.

In the last couple years I have come in contact with a lot of people who have had cancer, I have lost 2 of them, one continues to fight and 2 are in remission. 

Mr. Arsa was the nicest man I have ever come in contact with. He was a father, husband and son, losing his life to almost a year to his diagnosis day. I've blogged about his life and death before because I was at the age when I saw how bad it touch my friend and people around me. We miss him dearly.

Aunt Dee held the Hughes family together. Every Labor Day weekend we gathered at her farm house roasted corn and caught up with everyone before the school scene started again. And then at Thanksgiving we joined together again in her small house and had an amazing dinner all together laughing at Vince who had driven hours to dance with us or walked into the garage filled with smoke to hear the Poker Lingo going on. She pulled our family together and welcomed other sides of our families. My Poppa which was not related to them at all loved playing poker with the guys each November and the Thanksgiving that he died the guys played a special game for him. The last summer day I spent at Aunt Dee's was an joyous and somber one. Sitting up on the deck she watched as all the women smiled over her gifts of Tierra Glassware that she had decided to let us have. It is a gift that I will always have to remember Aunt Dee. She died the next January and we celebrated her life in a full packed hall.

Father Jerry has been a part of my life since Poppa died. He was the only traveling Father at the time of my Poppa's death and since we belonged to no church at the time he came and did mass. My mom loved everything he did during the mass and she dragged us along one weekend to a newly built church not far from our house. It was where Fr. Jerry worked she said telling us that he told stories during mass as we pulled in. Ever since that day we have been pulling into the same parking lot for mass each Sunday. Fr. recently was struck with cancer in his upper leg. First in one and then when they went to re-scan they scanned the wrong one but it was a good thing they did. They found more in the other leg. He's still fighting, getting weaker and weaker each day but continues each day for his support system of the parish.

My two survivors I know but not very well. Ms. Betty was my religious ed teacher for 2 years. I loved going to her class and love to see her when I'm home at mass. I ran into her last year at Shelby Township Relay for Life and as she wore a purple survivor shirt I was taken back, but so relieved that God gave her a chance to life and teach. Alex is another survivor I know. He also attends my church and had a hard fight. Being Father's alter server everyone in the church knew him and rallied to help him fight his fight. He retook his place next to Father at the alter recently.

So can we take a minute or two to just breathe? Or smell the new budding flowers? I hope we can. 

Til after Relay! (Look for some awesome pictures next week)

Kelly