Finding color in everything...

It's been an unusually warm spring for us and to celebrate and take in the outdoors I've assigned myself colors for everyday of the week.  There is so much color in the world and when certain times in your life get tough you forget to see the beauty in everything around you.  For the past month our family has been going through a flashback that we knew would eventually happen but we've all just pushed it to the backs of our minds....... what we don't think about won't happen, right?    Wrong!

Our family was struck with cancer many years ago, I remember exactly where I was standing when my mother told me my dad had cancer.  We accepted it and pushed through with successful results, my mother did a great job nursing him back to health.  I remember him not wanting to leave the house and she called in the sons to pull him out of his slump.  It wasn't long and he was back to himself.   And after many years cancer stuck again and this time it was my mother.  She fought as hard as she could until the day the doctors told us there was nothing they could do.  

Then she did the most amazing thing ever.... she accepted it.  

Looking back those 5 short months seemed like forever as our own lives took a backstage to hers and she faded slowly away from us in the most comforting way she could.  We all learned so much from her and we learned so much from each other as we cared for her.  Family is so very important and when someone is sick everyone comes together to help in any way that they can.  

So for our father and mother to have cancer of course the doctors tell us we are at high risk.  What do they know.... well my brother Rusty informed the family he has cancer.  The news came as a shock and that night resulted in many tears as I read John my reply e-mail to Rusty and his wife Barb.  Tears fell on my pillow that night as I feared the worst. 

Yesterday Rusty had surgery to remove the cancer.  The surgery went well and the doctors are confident they got it all.  I went to see Rusty tonight and felt his pain in so many ways.  His eyes told the whole story as he listened to us sisters tease him about whatever we could think of.   He didn't say much but at one point he did turn to Barb and said "see you think I'm mean to them but they deserve it".   Rusty was exhausted and frustrated when we left, not only is he in pain from the surgery he also has a bad back and is in pain when he lays down...... and cannot stand or walk without assistance and with busy nurses that does not happen often enough.

This was not meant to be a sad post or for you to feel sorry for anyone.  This is a post for you to trust in the early detection of cancer.  I for one must get better at this, eating an apple a day might keep the doctor away but that's not always a good thing.  

So for some more cheerful photos to help you notice the color in everything around you...  

Monday was Green

Tuesday was Yellow

And today, Wednesday was Pink

Take a look around you, whatever troubles you are going through there is color and happiness around you.