Live Like You Were Dying

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” This quote has always struck a chord with me. If you’ve ever gone through a life changing situation, you understand this quote. You try your best to paint a smile on your face, lift your head up and carry on with your life. Your world may be crumbling apart, but you must move on.

There is one person in my life who has been forced to do this too many times; my mom. In 2012, my mom was faced with a difficult divorce after 30 years of marriage. She was heartbroken, but came through it strong as ever. Fast forward to 2013; she had met a wonderful man, George. She and George were perfectly happy…they both needed each other during a difficult time in their lives. September 2013; my moms house sustained a severe fire. She was distraught. Her house was rebuilt from the second floor up. George helped her carry on with life during this crisis. November 2013; George and his best friend, Frank, were killed in a tragic car accident from crashing into a tree from black ice. Again, my mom was crushed. This man that she had grown to love was killed suddenly….all of the plans they had made vanished as quick as you could blink. She pulled herself back up and pushed her way through life. August 2014; her sister, Donna, that lived with her passed away suddenly of a heart attack on my moms front porch. Donna was more than her sister, she was a second mom to me and my three other siblings. The unexpected nature of her death shook us to our core. Our world would never be the same without Donna in it. Once again, my mom was our rock….she showed us all how to get back up on two feet and live life to the fullest. Shortly after this, she met Jerry. My mom believes Jerry is a gift from Donna because he came into her life at a time when she needed comfort. His birthday is July 14th and my moms is July 16th. Donna’s is July 15th! For the last couple of years, my mom and Jerry have grown inseparable. They’ve made lifelong plans, which include traveling the world, something neither one of them have had the chance to do. You see, they’re both two peas in a pod….ALWAYS putting others before themselves. My mom is one of the most selfless and caring woman I’ve ever met. I know everyone thinks that about their own parent, but she is truly more concerned with other people’s happiness than her own. Jerry and my mom would gladly give you everything they have to make sure you’re taken care of! So, my mom persevered and life moved on. I can’t begin to express how nice it has been to see her and Jerry happy together! They both deserve a world of happiness! We have learned more about resilience from her than we can ever give her thanks for.

Fast forward to August of this year. Jerry wasn’t feeling well. He got admitted to the hospital for a rapid heart rate. On a chest x ray while looking for heart issues, they found fluid in his abdomen. They drained 1 liter of fluid from his abdomen that later confirmed our worst fears. Stage 4, aggressive cancer. Jerry has been put through dozens of tests over the last month to try to find the source. After being put back in the hospital where they drained another 2 liters of fluid, they found the source during his second endoscopy. Stage 4 bile duct/gallbladder cancer; a very rare, aggressive and terminal cancer. He has been given less than a year to live with treatment. If his body doesn't respond to or he can't tolerate chemotherapy, best case scenario is up to 6 months. The news brought our world to a screeching halt, dropped us to our knees and left us devastated.

One of the worst things about seeing your family suffer is the feeling of helplessness. While I can’t take away the pain or change the outcome of this devastating cancer, I can show them how much I love them by helping them live life to the fullest for as long as God allows. If you know my mom & Jerry, you know that they’d never even think to ask for help! With medical bills piling up & Jerry not able to work while he undergoes chemotherapy, finances will continue to grow tighter. I want to see them go on an amazing vacation and not have the stress of money added to their burdens.  I do not want to see their last months together fretting over bills. All money donated with help pay medical costs, househould bills and for them to take one amazing & bucket list worthy vacation! Please consider donating to Lisa & Jerry! Any amount helps, and if you are not able to contribute monetarily, please pray for comfort and strength for them. 
I believe Tim McGraw’s song, “Live Like You Were Dying,” sums life up best, so I’ll leave you with this reminder to live your life like it was your last day on earth. What would you do differently….would your priorities be different? Would you treat people with more compassion? God bless you all for reading this and encouraging my family!

He said "I was in my early forties with a lot of life before me when a moment came that stopped me on a dime. I spent most of the next days, looking at the x-rays, talkin' 'bout the options and talkin' 'bout sweet time."I asked him, "When it sank in that this might really be the real end, how's it hit you when you get that kind of news? Man, what'd you do?” He said, "I went skydiving. I went Rocky Mountain climbing. I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu...And I loved deeper, and I spoke sweeter, and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying.” And he said, "Someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying…….Like tomorrow was a gift and you've got eternity to think about what you do with it. What could you do with it? What can I do with with it? What would I do with it?"