What Do You Say?

What do you say when you find out friends are suffering from terrible diseases?  In the past two weeks we have found out that three of our friends are fighting cancer, one is waiting to find out if he has it and one passed away after a 4 year fight.  I am not eloquent with my words and I wish I was.  I wish that words of comfort came easily to me so I would know what to say to my friends.  I have added them to my prayer list and I am asking you to add to yours if you don’t mind.

The first person we learned about was my husband’s friend and co-worker Vickie.  Vickie and Mr. Giggles have worked together for 15 years and have been through the loss of one of their friends and co-workers to cancer.  They were all three math teachers and were very close.  About 7 years ago we lost Gary to cancer after many years of fighting.  Now Vickie is fighting triple negative breast cancer.  She is single and her family does not live close by.  Right now she is having chemo and the rest of her treatment plans are up in the air because the cancer has grown so incredibly fast. 

The second friend is someone who I worked with for a summer but in a short time we became very good friends.  Her birthday is around our anniversary and her anniversary is around my birthday.  She was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer.  She is in her mid 40’s married with fur babies.  She is currently taking radiation and I haven’t had a chance to talk to her about anything else.

Yesterday I found out that a family friend has an inoperable tumor in his liver.  They are praying for a miracle because at this time it seems that is all there is for him.  He is such a bigger than life person and it is hard to believe that he is that sick. 

Last week the 42 year old daughter of my student teaching mentor passed away after an incredible four year fight with breast cancer.  Rachel didn’t let cancer rule her world, she ruled the cancer.  She and her husband purchased a condo that they totally remodeled and furnished to house people who are going to MD Anderson for breast cancer treatments.  If you are a Houston Chronicle subscriber, there is a write up about her in yesterday’s issue.  I have not been able to read it because I am not a subscriber but if you are and have a minute, read it and see what all she accomplished while fighting cancer and continuing her job.

These things have been weighing heavy on my heart and I hope that I can be the friend these friends need even if I can’t come up with the right words to say.  Do you ever feel that way?