The Suitors Come a-Calling

This morning Chad and Danielle Scribner stopped me in the halls between meetings to share one a conversation they had with their two boys on the way to church. Names have been changed because I cannot remember the name of Andrew's betrothed. Since I was not privy to the conversation, I reconstruct it here from what they related:

Andrew (4): Batman and Superman can't get married, can they?

Danielle: No, they cannot because they are both men.

Andrew: So how do you get married?

Danielle: Well, you find your favorite girl and get married.

Andrew: OK, I 'm going to marry Christine.

Ryan (3): I'm marrying Cora. She's my favorite girl.

My friend Vanessa

This last week I was in Houston, Tx visiting a good friend, Vanessa. She is enduring cancer for her 7th, and last time. Initially I had planned the trip out to visit her and spend some fun time hanging out and going to Sea World with her family and another friend. Everything changed last Monday when she was admitted to M.D. Anderson Hospital after they found more tumors pressing on her spine. I arrived in San Antonio making up my schedule as I drove-- quite literally. Instead of Austin I was now headed to Houston. Luckily I have an amazing friend, Sarah, in Houston who I could call in such a moment. She is also friends with Vanessa and generously agreed to not only let me be her unexpected house guest, but watched Samuel every day for several hours so I could be in the hospital with Vanessa. So I spent Friday-Monday zipping back and forth from Sarah's to the hospital, and helping as much as I could

I worked with her daughter Angelica years ago in the Austin ward. Angelica became like a family member since we got to spend so much time together. Her mom had to do 60 days of radiation and chemotherapy during Angelica's high school years and she stayed with us while Vanessa was in Houston receiving treatment. I didn't get a lot of time with her, but I sure loved getting to see Angelica and hang out with her a bit.

Vanessa and I became close about 5 years ago when she was diagnosed with cancer for her 5th time in her life. I was working with Angelica in Young Women's and became aware of her situation that way. Vanessa has retinablastoma, a form of cancer that is genetic, and starts in the eye. When she was a child they saved her life by removing her eyes, so from the time she was 8 she was blind, and in foster care due to the untimely death of her mother. Vanessa's sinus cancer coincided with one of the most difficult times of our infertility. It helped strengthen me to see how cheerful and persistent she was in her trials, and made me find the good things in my life more readily.

By the end of the trip Vanessa was back home, and my time was over. I don't think I really had time to grieve, and it is unclear how long she has left. It was strange to say goodbye, not knowing if I would see her again in this life. One thing I do know is that it will be a joyful reunion on the other side when I can see her restored to health, and she can see again with perfect eyes.

Tales from Daddylandia - Part One

I'm usually at work, so I miss out on Cora's witticisms. But two days of intense one-on-one contact are showing me what a smart little girl she is. Yesterday, she informed me that chocolate milk was good for her. How so, I asked. She pulled up her shirt, pushed out her little tummy and told me that it was making her belly bigger. She's also become a master negotiator. Usually I have to play the velvet hammer, but since Janine isn't around, she gets away with a little more. So tonight she finagled extra grapes, two desserts, and about 30 extra minutes at the International Cultures Festival on campus. She was a reggae-dancing queen tonight, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed her stylings. Tomorrow -- thanks to Janine's detailed daily schedule -- we've got the annual Apple Fest slated for the morning and a Broadway review on campus in the evening. Life is good.

A Couple of Cora Quotes

Story Number 1: Cora needs friends. Or cousins who live closer. This afternoon she chased herself around the house while carrying on a two-sided conversation that, presumably, would have been held with a cousin.

Cora1: "I'm going to catch you."
Cora2: "No you're not!"
Cora1: "When I catch you I'm going to get your neck sugar."
Cora2: "No you're not. It's all gone."
And so on...

Story Number 2: Cora decided that tonight Mommy and Daddy should spend their downtime baking for her.

Cora: Mommy, tonight you and Daddy can make cookies after I go to sleep so that i can wake up and say, "OOOOH, look! You made cookies!"

Story Number 3: Last night Cora and I went for a walk. On the way home we stopped off at a neighbor's house to look at their addition. Mrs. Swann is a very nice senior citizen, but it took Cora a minute to warm up to her. Warming up consisted of showing her a collection of five asphalt pebbles and informing Mrs. Swann that Mommy and Sam were going to texas this week and she, Cora, would be staying home with Daddy. When we got home, Janine asked how the walk went.

Cora: I was being a little shy.

Janine: Why were you being a little shy.

Cora: I have no idea.