Celebrating Mothers Day & Cancer

I never imagined how hard the job of being a mom could be.. When you are growing up you see your mom and others and think I can totally do that and I just wont do that. When I became a mom I realized a few things.. 1. How foolish to think that it was an easy job anyone can do.. 2. How much faith I really didn't have. As tough as it is to be a mom, keeping up with the demands sometimes some moms are demanded to do more, be more and believe more.

Being sick with morning(aka.. all day) sickness for the last three months has really open my eyes.. There is nothing worse than physical illness when trying to raise a child and take care of a family. And yet there are many women out there that have fought the odds or are trying. There are some that lost the fight in this life but gained eternity. Today I want to talk about them.. I celebrate these extraordinary women who have more faith than me, more strength than me and more fight than I have. These women have battled, are battling or lost their life's to cancer....

My Mom,I remember the day my mom came home and told me she had breast cancer. Not knowing how bad, what stage or what the future hold I remember her telling me this.. "She said God is going to do a work, no matter what happens I am ok, and I am going to fight and I will use it later for the Lord." My moms cancer wasn't as bad, she went through radiation and a surgery, continuing to work and take care of the family. I never saw her pain, never saw her having pity but only saw her strength and ability to trust in the Lord during this time. My mom beat cancer and has now been in remission for about 8 years now.. My mom taught me how to trust in the Lord and she is a extraordinary woman.

Denise Johnson-Scott- is the kinda women that you wanted your meetings, have at your parties, at your pot lucks and just around in general. I became a new manger and had the privileged to sit next to her. She brought life to the party and there was always a laugh when Denise was around. When she was diagnosed with stage four cancer, It was my hope that the laughter she created was enough to carry her through. At the time she was diagnosed she had four kids ages 1, 4,6 & 12 and a busy mom who went between work, PTA and sporting events. She overcame many surgery's, chemo that took all her hair and many complications, radiation and spent five months at home unable to eat and needed a nurse to feed her. Denise didn't quit she fought the good fight. She fought the battle for her and her family. Today Denise is cancer free and has been for 6 years. Still has some post cancer complications but does not stop her from, traveling all over the states for her kids, baseball, basketball, football, cheer, acting classes and everything in between. Denise taught me how to fight through the pain and to always laugh, she is a extraordinary woman.

Brenda was a women at church that I got to meet only months before she passed away. She had many tumors in her head and when diagnosed her daughter was only one years old. The doctors gave her only a year. She was a woman of much faith and fought to the very end. When I saw her she always looked as though she had peace. I couldn't understand why she did. I later found out that she asked God to give her two more years with her daughter when she found out about the tumors. She ended up living six.. She had peace because the Lord gave her more than she asked. She had hope that one day she could actually be healed until the day she died. In her last breathe she thanked God for the extra time. Brenda taught me how to have hope, and to be thankful for every new day because it is extra time, she is a extraordinary woman.

Grandma Gloria was in remission for many years. Grandma Gloria is sals grandma, on his moms side. She had lymphoma and it came back after many years. In her illness she cared for her husband, sal's grandpa who had a bad heart. She always put her husbands health first and was selfless. She lost her battle about 4 years ago and was healed eternally. Grandma Gloria taught me how to be unselfish and she is a extraordinary woman.

Lucy, I saw Lucy today in church.. She stood there in her cap without hair and a clearing up infection on her face due to chemo. Seeing her at church today was awesome since a week ago she was in the hospital with blog clots in her lungs and having a hard time breathing. Lucy has cancer, she has cancer in her brain, lung and on her hip. She is the head of her home. She is a good friend of mines mom. In the middle of her cancer fight she continues to support her daughters still putting their needs above hers. She is in the battle of her life, doctors only gave her a few years. She has faith and today it was good seeing her at church praising the Lord. Please pray for her, she has had a long road but still has miles ahead of her. Lucy has taught me to how praise the Lord during the storm, and she is a extraordinary woman.

Deborah Johnson Deborah hasn't battled cancer but she has been through her share of battling and so I celebrate her to. She is Denise's mom, losing her son Duane a few years prior to Denise's diagnosis. Still grieving she was left to take care of her daughter and her family. She is truly the foundation to her family. She was a nurse, a mom, a grandma, a taxi and everything else you can imagine when Denise was sick. To day you can find her traveling from San Diego to Orange County and well beyond the borders to see her grandkids. She is there supporting sports events, plays and her husband who is a NFL coach. She is a lady that retired for the airlines only to accept the job a full time working grandma. Deborah has taught me how to be strong and be that backbone for your family during difficult times, she is a extraordinary women.

I have had the privilege to know and be a small part in some of these ladies lives. It is because of women like them that I have hope. I have hope in the Lord that one day there will be a cure. I celebrate their lives, the ones that are here and the ones that are with the Lord. I have a new compassion for them and how they can have the ability to maintain a family and go through their illness. It blows my mind, I know that in a month or so my season shall pass but for some it will not. These women did not let the cancer define them and that is what I love!

Please continue for those that are in remission and battling because one day it can come back. Cancer is real but so is God and with Him all things are possible...

Happy Mothers Day!
Mon