This week was my birthday. It started a little rough but got better as the day grew longer. I realized just how blessed I am. I had family that wished me happy birthday and went out of their way to make sure it was good. My friends showered me with blessings as well. It was truly a wonderful feeling to know that you have so many that care around you. I enjoyed my spagetti dinner with homemade garlic bread. My kuddos to the chef. We also enjoyed my all time favorite cakes, red velvet. YUM!!! We are all still burned from going to the pool and playing. I do not know who had the most fun, the kids or my mother. I do not take these days lightly with momma's health not being the best in the world anymore.
With all the wonderful things above, my birthday was not "my birthday" until I had my song sang to me. You see every year my sister calls early in the morning and sings Happy Birthday to me. She is not the family's prized singer (not that I am either). Her children tease her all the time about her voice. Kids are just that way. They expect you to take and take and never have hurt feelings, they just do not think of you that way. Every year, good or bad, it is one of the sweetest things anyone does for me. When my parents would be grieving some years over the loss of James, she would ALWAYS remember me. This year, however, it was the sweetest tune I had heard ever in my life as it could very well be the last year I ever have that song sang to me again. I hid the tears of course (thank goodness for phones) but I think she still knew. This year she did not call first thing as usual. I even had to call her and just tell her, "I need my song for it to be truly my birthday." She laughed.
You see, my sister was diagnosed with kidney cancer in February. It had already spread to her lungs before they found it. It has been a very long road already for her. She had to have the kidney removed (thank you God for allowing it only to be in one kidney). She went on SUTENT in April and could not tolerate the highest dose. They had to cut it back and she is still have significant problems. The tumor appears to be stable (not growing) right now. The medication only stops progression; it does not shrink the cancer. Over the past year (before finding the cancer) she has lost over 20+ pounds. She is now on oxygen most of her days and can only be out (like to Walmart) for approximately an hour before pure exhaustion sits in. She is fighting, it is just extremely hard for her as she was so low to begin with. The medication is very rough on the body but she is still having symptoms from the cancer as well. She always has a smile especially if she senses you are low so smile you must, for her. I did not take this birthday very lightly at all. It is my prayer that God's will be done for nothing else will do.
