Three years!

It's amazing what a difference three years have made......   This past week was that very dark week from hell for all of us three years ago when we first heard that Steven had leukemia, and on Friday 6th March 2009, it was the three year mark of the cml diagnosis. 

The first year I bought a cake - not quite sure what the heck I was doing or whether I was celebrating one year more of life or just trying to find a reason not to let the tears flow - one cannot cry with a cake in front of you!  The second year we had Steven and Laura over for supper and spoke mostly of other things, but gave cml a short "shot in the sun" with a toast to a good and happy and healthy two years, even though cml was in the front of my mind.  This year, the three year mark, we ambled back into town after a wonderful 6 weeks traveling through Baja Mexico, had pizza with Steven and Laura and cml barely featured at all, even in my mind!

We celebrated that this past week for them had been full of sending out invitations for their fast approaching wedding in May - it was also a fairly nervous week, but not because of cml, but because they had put an offer in on a house!  And two days before his diagnosis anniversary, the offer was accepted!  They are buying a house......... 

In three 'short' years, this child of mine has truly become a man.  Not because he is buying a house, not because he is getting married, not because he has leukemia - but because of how he has taken it all in his stride and bettered his life and his outlook despite, and probably because of his diagnosis - and, of course, because of  the lovely lady Laura!

It's been quite a ride, these three years.  The people we have met, the love and encouragement we have been given and the growth that has happened in so many ways.  

When we were first planning this trip away, I purposefully planned that we would be gone before his last pcr results came back in..... and it worked very well.  I know that nothing I can do will change what that result shows us and it was my way of actually living that knowledge.  Steven does this every day by getting on with all aspects of his life, doing everything he should and would be doing despite his diagnosis.

When I heard that his offer on the house had been accepted and I realized the timing of it, I cried a little.  Just a little - but it was a happy cry, one of wonder and thanks and appreciation and pride in these two young people who are moving on with their lives.  

What a difference three years have made in all of us..  and I am incredibly grateful and am so enjoying the peace in our lives right now.

love and light

Annie