Wednesday, April 7, 2010

"Just Tell Me What It Is So I Can Deal With It And Get On With My Life"

Those were very wise words I heard this very day! I was at my hairdresser this morning and in walked a very striking looking man, he was tall and thin, with a head of beautiful pure white hair and a big smile on his face. I guessed him to be about sixty years old. He boomed, "Good morning, ladies!" He had an appointment with Bernard, the only male hairdresser in the salon. Bernard wasn't ready for him, so he sat in the front room with myself, my grandson Jayden, my hairdresser Elisabeth, her helper Cetta, and few other patrons. The man asked Cetta how her husband was (a question I had asked her when I came through the door earlier), Cetta's husband had pancreatic cancer and over six months ago he was given only six months to live. I remember the day she told me that news with tears streaming down her face. I really didn't know what to say. I asked her if she had Faith in God and when she said yes, I said to her, "Well, that doctor is not God. Only God is the Author of life." She got very quiet after that and when I was leaving she thanked me and told me that she was going to tell her husband what I had said. At my last hair appointment Cetta said her husband was not doing well at all, he had lost almost two hundred pounds and he was wasting away, but she said they both still held out hope and they were hanging onto the fact that God Is the Author of life. I wished them both well and kept them in my prayers, I prayed that they could both find peace with whatever God had Planned for them.
This morning when I came in I asked Cetta how she was, she sounded tired and just said, "I'm doing alright." I was almost afraid to ask about her husband, and when I did, she looked at me and said, "Oh, you haven't heard?" I shook my head no, and tears came to her eyes and she leaned over and whispered, almost as if she were whispering a prayer, "The cancer is gone."
Then it was my turn for tears to come to my eyes. She came over and hugged me and said, "God Is Good, and you were right."

The man that asked Cetta about her husband was overjoyed too, he kept saying over and over again, "That's wonderful! That's wonderful! I'm so happy for him!" And then he told us that he too had cancer and he was undergoing chemotherapy. He said when the doctor told him about the cancer his response was, "Just tell me what it is so I can deal with it and get on with my life. I don't have time for this." And then he went on to tell us a little bit about his life, his marriage, children, grandchildren, and how he had survived a couple of wars, and he had survived a couple of bouts with cancer, and then he told us that he was eighty years old!!! I was stunned! He looked wonderful, and so happy, and so full of life, and so, so grateful!
He also said he liked being on chemotherapy because he was a 'clothes horse' and he loved that his clothes were now fitting him again! He said he needed to lose a little weight anyway!
And he told us that this latest bout of cancer was "just a blip on the screen"! And then he went on to tell us all the things he was looking forward to, all that he had planned for this Spring and Summer, he said that he was happy that the beaches were opening tomorrow and he'd be walking them every other day, and swimming, and he's going back to boxing with his mates a few nights a week to keep in shape!
The man's attitude was infectious, and we all smiled at his enthusiasm for life. I hope I can adopt this outlook on life, and the next time there's a blip on the screen of my life I hope I remember "to deal with it so I can get on with my life"!

10 comments:

  1. Wonderful story Eileen, I hope I'm as positive and energetic when I'm in my 80's! That's really the way anyone...at any age...should try to be!♥...Wanda

    ReplyDelete
  2. Miracles do happen and I thrill with the story of each of them!!!! "God is good all the time!! All the time God is good!!!!" What wonderful witnesses to the goodness of the Almighty! Cathy

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love his attitude. You know we all go through trials and tribulations, some worse than others but really what else can we do but pray and get on with our life! My mom used to always say "When God wants me he's gonna take me, when it's my time to go I'm gonna go!" She never seemed worried about dying, she just worried about all of us.
    So here's to just living our lives, good or bad, it's all we've got! Great story Eileen. As was your advice! Love Di ♥

    ReplyDelete
  4. HI EILEEN-

    Oh this is truly a story of inspiration, faith, hope and courage. I am so moved by what I have read. "Thank you" SO much Eileen - Amen.

    Love to you
    Gail
    peace......and hope......

    ReplyDelete
  5. People are truly amazing aren't they? Actually I believe people like that are angels. They come into our life at just the right time to offer us peace and hope. I loved this post. It was so uplifting and inspiring. Thank you ♥

    ReplyDelete
  6. You hope you can be like him, Eileen? From what I know of you...you already are!! You spread so much love, fun, joy and sunshine around blogland!! Just that smile of yours is infectious, gal!!

    Praise God for that man's healing! What a wonderful blessing for them and you!

    Have a joyful Thursday!!
    Love ya!!
    Becky

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh my. What a gift you gave Cetta and her husband by being bold and speaking the truth by reminding them that God is the author of life. You gave them something real to hang onto. I'm also struck by the way you listened to that man tell you all about his life. Many would have just turned a deaf ear to someone they really didn't know who was opening up like that. But you listened because you care...and here we are in blogland also benefiting from his story.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Eileen, I love this story.....and how wonderful for both of these men.....we never know what is ahead of us and perhaps it is a good thing we don't but no matter what God's plan is for me I hope I will always have an attitude as this man.......it is a real blessing indeed.
    ....big hugs to Jayden and Mia......:-) Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  9. HI Eileen,
    I have missed visiting your blog these past weeks...

    and so I was so happy to be able to come here today and read up on the recent posts since I last dropped by.

    THis is an amazing story, so infectious indeed. I am glad you shared this story, both about the hairdresser, and the 80 year old man.

    And as I scrolled down your previous posts, I saw your Easter post, Good Friday, Holy Thursday. Wow, the pictures you posted of the Resurrection of Jesus were just so awesome, as were the Good Friday ones.

    You are an artist, dear friend. You really bring so much contribution to blogworld.

    Honestly, I have missed your visits to my blog place! I hope to see you again one of these days. Did you know it was my birthday last March 27? It was such a great and special day that God came down and touched my heart. Just wanted to share that with you.

    Well, this is all for now.

    Bye and have a great Easter week ahead of you.

    Love
    Lidj

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow! To all of it! God is good!

    ReplyDelete