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5/23/2000
Happy Birthday Mom

It's May 23 once more and time to wish you a Happy Birthday! So much has changed in the past year. It was just a year ago that I was so sick we worried about my health and prayed it wasn't due to my cancer. Now this year I'm doing much better, however; after 10 years in remission your cancer is back.

I long for the day when none of us ever need to use the word cancer anymore. It's so sad to think of how many people close to us have passed a way from cancer in the last few years. I miss your " Baby Brother Bill" as you called him, the most. He was so funny and loved me as if I was his own. I'm so much like him that I even had to pick up his prostate cancer. I wish that the doctors had of caught it soon enough so that he would be here today to visit with you in the hospital on your birthday. At least I learned from
his ordeal with cancer and caught mine soon enough!

Mitch sends his love and hopes you are feeling much better. He had a tough time with Mothers Day again this year. I don't think he will ever be the same as he was before his mom died from cancer. This year we planted a rose garden in his mom's memory on Mothers Day. We got the idea from PL's cancer memorial garden they planted at the home office.

Speaking of PL, I saw Dianne Baldridge last month at a retreat Beth Vesco-Smith and Leigh Kirk put on for the STAR GAZER and $ELLABRATION Regions. As soon as she saw me she gave me a big hug and asked how you were doing. She wanted me to let you know that her prayers are with you. Beth and Leigh let me give a speech on raising money for ACS this year. Maxine Stimmel set up a table with all kinds of great stuff to raise money for ACS and I passed envelopes after my speech. With around 400 consultants in attendance we raised over $8,000.00 in just two days.

For my speech, I wanted to point out that our money really buys hope today and a cure tomorrow and how great everyone chance is to get cancer and even die from it. I talked about "Hope for sale" and pointed out that without money for cancer research we would have no hope in finding a cure. I also gave out cards marked at random to show how many of us in a group of 400 will come down with cancer and then how many of them will die from it. Once I started the speech I looked out at a room filled with many people I love and started to single out the number that will get cancer. It was very overwhelming even for me. Leigh and Dianne joined me on stage for support and when I finished, Beth sang the song " I WILL REMEMBER YOU" for me. I know it wasn't perfect and I made a few mistakes, however; you would have been very proud of me! My PL family is taking great care of me here in Ohio with lots of love and support. With all of them around, I find it much easier dealing with all that you and I are going through. I know that with all the money we are raising for ACS, some of them will never have to know the pains of cancer.

I didn't send you any flowers for your birthday because I don't know if your staying in the hospital, going home, or going to the nursing home. I hope you are enjoying the 3 hanging baskets Mitch and I sent you for Mothers Day. I'll send you a surprise from PL in the next few days that I know you will love! Also, I'm sending a small gift to PL for ACS in honor of your birthday! I'll call you later.

I love you mom, Hank

And just one followup from among the many after this post appeared on candlecyberunit list:

Dearest Hank,
No offense (and I mean that), but you don't know anything! I'm not being mean, I'm being honest!

You see, you DON'T KNOW how many lives you've touched. Let's see, there are 350 members in our Cyberunit, but who knows how many of your emails have been passed from them! I know I passed along the one to quit smoking... and you know what? 3 people that I sent that to QUIT! Pat yourself on the back for that, because I think it was in direct relation to sending your post because it was just a couple of weeks after I sent it that they all quit!

You also DON'T KNOW how many tears have been shed for and because of you.
Many tell you, but remember, many do not.

You DON'T KNOW how many people that didn't understand the ACS and what they
did, now do understand thanks to you.

And you DON'T KNOW how many people that have given to the ACS because of
something you said.

You DON'T KNOW how many prayers have been said for you, your family, and your friends, and for all of the people that have been affected in some way by Cancer.

You DON'T KNOW that we talk about you at our Unit and Regional Meetings,
when we talk about Cancer.

You DON'T KNOW how many of us thought about you and your mother on Mother's
Day, and you DON'T KNOW how many of us cried on Mother's Day, knowing that
it may be your last one to celebrate with your mother.

Hank, there's a lot that you DON'T KNOW, but I hope that you DO KNOW that we all love and cherish you. And I hope you DO KNOW that we all consider you a friend. And I hope you DO KNOW that we enjoy reading your posts, even when they do make us cry Because we ALL need to KNOW that the type of car we drive, the size of our house, the style of our clothes, and all of the other things like that don't matter. As long as we have our health, as long as we have someone to love, and as long as we have hope and faith.

I love you Hank, and I hope to be honored to meet you in person at conference!

Jennifer Nunley, Springfield, Mo, Galaxy of Stars

This page last updated  July 06, 2005