Well, if you're following this blog you've probably noticed I haven't been here in awhile. It's been a very difficult time for me. Last Saturday we said goodbye to a very special friend of mine. My good friend Becky finally went Home to her Father at the young age of 38 after a very courageous & horrifying battle with angiosarcoma-a very rare cancer. She suffered with this disease for about 3 years, and never got a break the whole time.
Throughout it all, she never waivered in her faith or positive energy. We all prayed for a cure of course, but we knew this terrible disease would eventually take her.
It has been very difficult for me to watch this. She was so young and so full of life at age 35 when she was diagnosed. She was always known for her beautiful long red hair. She was a true redhead in spirit alright!!! When they first diagnosed her & told her she'd need chemo, the worst part for her was knowing she was going to lose that beautiful hair. She felt it was partly what defined her. That's how people always knew her-the girl with the red hair! But she very quickly learned (as did we all) that there was so much more to her than just her hair.
After her first treatment with the chemo, a mastectomy & a reconstruction, it looked like maybe she'd get a break! But that was short lived. 3 month after it all, she was told it was back in other parts of her body. A true tragedy.
So the last 2 weeks basically she was in the hospital knowing her time was very close. About 48 hrs. before she passed, she begged to go home to be with her beloved pets. Her husband moved Heaven & Earth to make that happen, and she passed peacefully in her own home.
It all seems so senseless. Very terrifying. It seems inevitable-what kind will I get? When will it be? Everyone has it! But then I remember how she fought that battle, and I have to take a step back. The lessons she wanted us to learn. She never said why me. Her concern was for everyone else around her. So now I need to pick myself up by my bootstraps & move on.
I pray over & over that neither I nor any of my family members or friends ever have to deal with anything like this, but if I ever do, I've had a wonderful role model to lead me through. She taught me how to LIVE life. I will never forget her. I miss her so.
Please enjoy a few pictures of her below. And may my Becky rest peacefully in God's tender & loving hands.
Becky was a theater girl! We actually met at our local theater group, Gateway Players. She & I "fought" for the same guy in this photo in 2004 in the play "Crazy for You". Notice her beautiful hair. It's all tied up here, but when she let it down, everyone knew the floor was hers!
This is at our local Relay for Life in Southbridge MA in 2011. Becky asked me to walk with her in the Survivor's Lap. I was so honored. I felt like I shouldn't, but she said her friends helped her through, & she wanted me to walk with her. That smile is infectious!!! She was fighting so hard then.
This is one of my favorite pictures of Becky. See, Becky was a dancer. It was in her blood. She'd taken lessons since she was about 3 years old, but she just had "it"!! She would glide across the floor with such grace!
She was also a fantastic choreographer.
This picture was taken on May 4, 2012, at my son's wedding. She was in a lot of pain those days. The cancer has spread to her bones, & she was having difficulty just walking without a cane. She hated that cane though. She just wanted to dance. Well, she told everyone that she hoped she was well enough to dance at her friend's wedding. She was tired & ready to leave, but we wouldn't let her go until she danced to "Dancing Queen" by Abba. That was her song. Well she just let loose & danced like there was no tomorrow. She enjoyed that so much! I'm sure she paid for it the next day, but I had the honor of having her last dance with her. It's a moment I'll never forget.
So to my Dancing Queen, I love you forever, and you will always have that special place in my heart. My prayers are with your wonderful & loving husband Luke, Mom Pauline, Dad Lee, Bro Mike, & the rest of your family. I will be there for them always. Until we meet again...
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