Today at mass the second reading rang like a bell to me as I heard mention of the gentleness "as a nursing mother cares for her children." 1st Thessalonians 2:7-9,13 After spending a good part of the day together yesterday with my Johnny... my youngest child here on earth, and one that we joked that the umblilical cord had reappeared over the year we spent together fighting the battle against brain cancer!
That all came rushing back upon us... as we had the desire and mission, yesterday, to finally go and meet a girl a year older than John, who is in her last days of life due to brain cancer. We have known about Lisa for almost the entire time of our journey. Both she and John are farm kids and they are only a year apart in age and only an hour apart from one farm to the other. She discovered her cancer at the beginning of August 2 years ago, at the same time that John had his brain biopsy and discovered the name of his cancer! They have kept track of each other on caringbridge, but never met until yesterday. 
They have closely shared many experiences, but never have their paths crossed so that they could meet. They both had full brain radiation, but a few weeks apart. They both had stem cell transplant at the same time... hers was done a bit different from John's but they used the same chemo. She was living at the transplant house, and John and I rented our own home for the 5 weeks we were there. John had reached Complete Responce - CR - Christ Rules, before we started the stem cell and it has stayed gone every time we go back! Lisa was sent home to die after she was partially through her stem cell as the cancer kept on growing. That was a year and a half ago! She has done therapy and homeopathic treatments and had a good year and a half!
John wears Lisa's bracelet and prayed for her at Lourdes and every day. While we were in France... as he was there to pray and thank Our Lady for his healing... he took Lisa with him there, and asked that she could have a miracle too! This candle he blessed with the miraculous spring water that continues to flow and heal many, and he lit it in the grotto to Our Lady! Yesterday he sat next to a sleepy Lisa, and told her that he prays for her and will continue to pray for her. "I admire the battle you have fought, and I will always wear your bracelet." John told her fighting back tears.
With this wonderful image of our Spiritual Mother in the grotto that she appeared to St Bernedette and continues to work miraculous healings... I am pondering the care that Lisa's mother has given her daughter 24/7! She has demonstrated her love for her daughter in her constant care for her, and striving to go down every avenue to find the healing that she desperately wanted for her. Now as she draws close to the end of her earthly battle...she is not carrying a burden, but leaving it in the Lord's hands and enjoying her final days with her daughter and the family that is gathering around her!
John blessing Lisa's candle and saying a prayer for her. As we drove away from our time with Lisa and her family... John found himself in tears at the realization of all that he faced and now has been blessed with his healing. "I feel guilty, and I wonder why me... Why was I spared? I know that it is advances in cancer research and some of that was on me, as I am so rare, but I also know that a lot of it was prayer. But Lisa had a lot of prayers too!" I reminded him that the life he has been given will not always be sweetness and light, and Lisa will not have to face the hard things or any more suffering. 
Lord, we are forever changed by our journey that continues. The loss of someone so young is very hard and sad... give her family strength and comfort. Show us how we can minister to them in their need. Be with Lisa... May her passing from this world be peaceful, and may her family have the strength to allow her to go to be with Jesus. Jesus, we trust in you! Amen and Halleluia!
Bless-bless, Barb"Merciful and compassionate is the Lord, your God, and he will not turn away his face from you if you return to him." 2 Chr 30:9
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