|
Close to Nowhere
By Linda Jones We give thanks I
visited at my daughter’s church Sunday and the preacher, Doug Bell, did
not preach a Thanksgiving sermon. He even mentioned that he was not a
“topical” preacher. And then, the last Bible verse he read and used was
“Jonah 2:9 – With a song of thanksgiving…” Some years there is more to be thankful for than others. Yet, there is always something for which I’m thankful I’m
so thankful for my friend Beth. It seems to me that everyone knows and
loves Beth. She’s one of those folks who doesn’t ever see a glass half
empty. Her glass is always full! She is a faithful, to the bone
Christian, a devoted mom, a loving wife and a friend to everyone she
meets. Recently, on the advice of a doctor,
because she was turning 50, she had a colonoscopy. Just simply because
she’s Beth, all of us expected absolutely nothing from this. Not a one
of us at the newspaper office expected to hear anything but good news. The
diagnosis of colon cancer in our healthy, never-a-symptom Beth was too
shocking to deal with. The resultant surgery to remove the cancer and
the discovery of cancer on her liver was totally unthinkable. The
follow-up PET scan, which showed cancer on her liver, for which a
series of chemo, surgery, etc. has been scheduled was not believable.
Not “our” Beth. Beth, who had gone cheerfully for
the colonoscopy, has remained cheerful, upbeat and positive. One day
while she was in the hospital, she asked her husband Perry to request
no visitors. While talking to Perry on the phone, he said, “You know,
it’s hard to tell with Beth, but I think she’s depressed.” Beth
is now supporting and uplifting all of us at the office. She’s had a
port put in, she’s had one chemo treatment and come back in the office
cheerful and full of enthusiasm. Just our normal Beth. Happy, and
making sure that everyone she loves, which is everyone she knows, is
happy also. When you turn 50 or if the
opportunity arises, go have a colonoscopy. When you get a chance, have
a mammogram. Take care of yourself. Eat lots of fiber, do the breast
self-exam and quit smoking, drinking and/or over-eating. This
Thanksgiving I am so thankful for Beth. And because her glass is always
full, I expect to be thankful for having Beth for many Thanksgivings to
come. She went to the doctor for a routine exam, even though she didn’t
want to go. Now, the rest of us have to live up to her example and take
good care of ourselves. Otherwise, she’ll whip us! For Beth, and for my many blessings, I give thanks…
|
