A Heavy Heart

Yesterday I got some disturbing news about my Aunt Judy. She has been battling cancer for a long time - my Dad was still alive when this began it was that long ago. Tuesday her doctor gave her a very final prognosis and I am heartbroken.

You see, my Aunt Judy is not technically my 'blood' relative. She is married to my Uncle Dave, my Dad's brother and best friend. I remember the first time someone explained to me that she was not my blood relative, I was totally perplexed. In my book, that technical stuff doesn't matter, it's how you connect with that loved one - like my Godparents, who are the furthest thing from related to me but are a second set of parents and their family is my family. I love them, therefore they are my family, simple as that.

Aunt Judy is truly one of the kindest women I know. I do not remember her ever saying anything mean about someone else, I do not ever remember her gossiping or even saying a real, live cuss word above a whisper. She embodies a true Christian woman and is one heckuva role model. She has always had a caring heart and I felt that beyond words while Dad was so ill, and as he was dying.

It's like this, my cell phone was a bit of a clustered-mess that early morning in 2005. I was going back and forth on calls with Cary, Mom and Aunt Judy as Dad's life was ending. We were all so gobstruck, but Aunt Judy would just let me answer the other calls from Mom and Cary and say, 'Sweetie, I'm praying.' And I knew she was.

In those dark months following the loss of my Dad, she and Uncle Dave called me all the time. Even then, things were hard on her because just a month and a half after Dad died she was given the diagnosis that no one wanted to hear. No matter the time, no matter the circumstance, she was always there - and at that time, it felt like there were only four other people on Earth besides me. Cary, Mom, Uncle Dave and Aunt Judy.

This post wasn't meant to be about me or about losing Dad and the Earth-shattering grief I experienced - it is about the love and concern of a kind woman who would do anything for anyone no matter her own state.

Do you know that Uncle Dave and Aunt Judy were the only two blood relatives to come to our wedding? A wedding who's guest list surpassed 375, there were only two - aside from Mom and Dad, of course - whom I could legitimately call family. I was so touched by that. So touched.

And after McKinley was born and we were all home and settled, and while Aunt Judy was having chemo treatments nearby, my Uncle Dave brought her to our house, pulled up into our back yard and came to see our boy. She was so weak from the chemo that she couldn't walk, but they both wanted to see him so badly. So, they pulled right up to the back door practically! We didn't care, we were all so happy to share in that time, and I treasure the photo we have from then.

Last week, Aunt Judy was hospitalized. We had the opportunity to go visit, so Mom came with the three of us and we shipped McKinley up to see his Great Aunt and Great Uncle. They had a ball with McKinley, I am still amazed at how quickly he warmed up to them. Heck, they got more kisses and shared treats than Cary and I do! We were jealous.

There are no words to adequately describe how thankful I am to have had those moments together again.

My heart is heavy for my family today.

Lynn