Celebrations

In January of this year, our first-born turned 16 and later in the month sought permission to court a girl he met in school. A graduating high school senior, the hubby and I thought it was okay and saw our son pursue his beloved. He had to court her friends, then her parents, and finally, she who said yes. Celebrate!

In March, our second-born sent me an email, just before she turned 12, saying how anxious she was about her coming graduation from elementary school. With her Kuya going to college, she would be all alone now in school, in the school bus, in the tricycle, going to Kumon. I replied to her email, expressing full confidence that she would be able to make it on her own, simply because circumstances require it. But if she ever felt scared or uncertain, she still had her parents for back-up (in the absence of her Kuya). She felt much better after the assurance she received from us. Celebrate!

This week, I had my annual PET-CT scan to check for recurrence of my metastatic (Stage 4) breast cancer. It took them three attempts to find a good, patent vein for the test. This is quite usual for me, even for simple blood tests. For the first time, I had a reaction to the dye used for CT scan contrast. There was no reaction to the initial test dose. But after the full dose was given, my face felt so itchy and I was told my face was really red. I could imagine rashes covering my face, but there was no mirror for me to see. The doctor immediately ordered an injection of one vial of antihistamine. That shot was painful going into the intravenous line. I was in tears but I knew the doc was saving me from more trouble. The antihistamine would prevent the allergic reaction from progressing into more serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing (should my throat swell), cramping or a drop in blood pressure.

In any case, the diagnostic test was completed and the results were most favorable: “No definite evidence of intensely hypermetabolic disease to suspect recurrence.” Celebrate!

Next week, we look forward to more celebrating as the kids graduate on the same day, one from high school and one from elementary. With these parenting milestones we are marking, we give thanks to our most generous and merciful God, who has showered upon us such grace. Since I was diagnosed in 2004, God has given our family 2,931 days together—each one as precious a miracle as the next. We are always mindful of these ‘extensions’ on our time together, and do not take anything for granted. We know only too well how any one of us can be ‘recalled’ at any time. So we try to live and love each day as if it were our last. Celebrate!

Just before March ends, my mom will turn 80 years old. I don’t have to imagine how I’d look at age 80, I already look like her right now. Growing up, my mom was rather hands-off. She didn’t cook for us, she didn’t bathe us, she never carried us for very long for fear she’d drop us. She just let us be. So I became much closer to my dad. But after he died, I realized I only had one parent left. I learned to appreciate my mom better, and understood the qualities I inherited from her: academic intelligence, pride in our work, obesity, and clumsiness, among others. Papa was 72 when he died. Mama looks like she’ll make it to 102…and more. Celebrate!

In all these celebrations, we give thanks and praise to God Almighty, who in this life is our strength and our end.