Life, they say, comes full circle. This summer I have seen and felt this to be true.

Earlier this year (the first day of summer to be exact) my good friend had a baby girl. The joy of this event was interrupted, however, because the umbilical cord became wrapped around the baby’s neck and stomach, causing her to aspirate meconium and fight for her life. Fortunately, the neonatologists and nurses worked to save her life, and she was brought home a few weeks later. Just last week my friend and her baby girl stopped by for a visit; I was elated to see them both so happy and healthy. Even though her baby will require some follow up care, she is by all accounts a healthy baby girl and is just starting out in her brand new life.

For a close family friend, the opposite was to be true. Last month her life was tragically cut short due to cancer.  She had been diagnosed too late with the disease and the cancer had spread to most of her organs. She suffered with extreme pain through the end of her life, a life her husband helped her through until the end. I never in my life experienced a disease like this, or had a life experience impact me as much as this did. As I think of her husband and the pain he is enduring, it takes me back to an earlier email I sent in June.  Read more »