The Top of the Mountain
I made it! By God’s grace, I made it to my daughter’s graduation! When I was first diagnosed with metastatic cancer, I sat in the doctor’s office hanging on the young doctor’s every word. When he had gone over everything, he asked if we had any questions. My husband had one. How much time did he think I had left? I did not want to know this. But my husband did, and probably needed to hear, so I listened for the answer. A year. That was in 2019. I didn’t want to die until all of my kids had graduated and I knew they could handle life on their own, life without me. And I made it to my youngest child’s graduation the day before my 47th birthday on June 2nd. We had much to celebrate last weekend!
I wanted to give my daughter something special for graduation, something just from me. She likes necklaces like I do, and I found a delicate silver choker with a mountain etched onto it. She is going to school in Utah this fall, and she decided on Utah because she loves mountains. The necklace came on a card that read: Enjoy the Journey. I tell my daughter this all the time. She is a workaholic and perfectionist at everything she does, and I want her to enjoy the journey so life doesn’t pass her by. I probably won’t get a chance to teach her this or see her learn this herself. I know she will accomplish much in life, so I never want to get in the way of that, but I can’t help but want her to enjoy the view sometimes. So, I wrote on her card: The best view comes after the climb. Congratulations on your graduation. Now go move mountains! And don’t forget to enjoy the journey!
I don’t think I appreciated that lesson when I moved halfway across the country to Newport News, Virginia, to take my first job after college. Slowing down and living one day at a time are lessons cancer has taught me. My husband lives according to the philosophy that we should spend money on experiences and not on things. And, after metastatic cancer, I am all about that. My mom and sister came for my daughter’s graduation, so I decided to make time for checking off a bucket list item. My husband, my sister and I drove up to Pitcairn, PA, where my grandparents grew up. When my sister and I were growing up, we heard lots of stories from my grandparents about the small town. We envisioned the five and dime, the nickel movie theater, the pool hall and restaurant my great grandparents operated, and the houses they grew up in. I had always wanted to visit Pitcairn to see where my grandparents became high school sweethearts and where they had grown up and had children before moving to my hometown of Rochester, MN. I also wanted to visit all the graves of my ancestors buried there and pay my respects. And I got to a few days before my daughter’s graduation. We went to all the cemeteries. I have now seen all the Seibert graves dating back to the Civil War on my grandfather’s side of the family. And I got to see the gravestone of our beloved Nonna who I had heard so much about growing up.
I also got to meet a new relative and his wife. He said that life is all about health and family. Yes, it is. Exactly that. Another great lesson I have learned from having cancer. So, I got to check another item off my small bucket list, and I got to have the experience of a lifetime reflecting on my family, past and present, and I got to meet family I didn’t even know of and fill in some family history. Creating more memories.
Well, I am just enjoying each day and trying to enjoy the journey, which is easy now that our pool is open and the sun and clear blue skies have been out! Hope everyone is having a nice summer so far! I will write from chemo in two weeks. Take care, and stay safe and healthy, everyone!