I've been searching for inspiration for a blog post the last couple of days, something worthy of your time. Something upbeat, humorous, motivating; but, to be honest today's blog is none of those.

My heart is heavy this morning. We had house guests last night. A young couple from St. Louis; Robyn used to work for Robbie. They came in to see another young banker and friend, named Lisa, mother of two, who is battling cancer for the second time in her life. I believe her tumors now number in the teens. Lisa arranged for the guys to go play golf, so she and Robyn could have lunch, get manicures and run a few errands. 

It was not an easy day. It began with a struggle with Lisa's wig, once a gorgeous blonde, it was important for her to feel attractive for her day out. When she was ready Robyn helped into her wheelchair and into the car. After the manicure Lisa wanted to stop at Stein Mart, she heard they had stylish "readers" there. Sensing she was too weak to go in, Robyn asked the manager if she could carry a half dozen pairs to the parking lot. Lisa liked them all, so Robyn went back in and bought them all!!

When they returned home Lisa fell to the ground getting out of her wheelchair. Although Lisa is slight little thing, Robyn couldn't get her up onto the sofa. They decided to wait on the floor for an hour or so, until the guys returned. As, they hadn't eaten the lunch Lisa had arranged for, Robyn thought the best thing to do would be to eat dessert! So, they laid on the floor together, eating cookies.

We comforted Robyn and her husband last night with a cozy dinner on our porch. It certainly wasn't a day she could have ever imagined beforehand, but it will always be a bittersweet memory. I painted this rose yesterday, and I'll call it "Lisa's Rose".

Finally, I want to share a little C.S. Lewis with you. I won the summer reading contest in the sixth grade. I read every Chronicles of Narnia book that I could squeeze in! When I know someone is near the end of their life, I go back to this final paragraph of the chronicles, and I get goosebumps! Words of wisdom, for Lisa, for us all. 

"And for us this is the end of all stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."

"The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning." - ASLAN