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"Joy"
My brother which is number 3 of 8 children has always had the luck of
“Job” from the Bible. He learned he had lung cancer just over a
year ago. Trust me, that’s not the beginning of the story, but
it’s a quick start.
Our family is from the South. Seems southern families are tighter
than rusty screws, especially ours. When one of us hurts, we all
hurt; beginning with watching my 80 year old mom care for and watch her
son die. My brother will be 63 if he lives to see 12/14. He
has been living with mom since the illness. She has become his
caregiver 24/7. Many reoccurrences of his cancer had appeared in
different places. He’s now on his 4th round of radiation and
sadly, he’s wilted away to practically skin and bones.
He sold his home in Indiana and after the oncologist told him his lungs
were clear, he bought a new home here in Greenville. We were all
excited to have him move closer to us. Five days after signing
the deed to his new home he was told the cancer had spread to his
brain. Sadness totally took over my spirit. I have cried
for months. So sad one day I posted on Facebook, “I’ve lost
my joy, can anyone help me find it. My brother is dying of cancer and I
don’t know how to deal with it”............. needless to say; there
were many posts from everyone trying to comfort me, pray for me and
tell me how to get my joy back. Nothing was working.
Here’s where the “feel good” part starts. Three days after that post
someone sent a beautiful array of fresh flowers in a little clear glass
vase to my house. Of course I accused the husband who appeared
innocent. I opened the card and it read
“Joy!!!” I have no idea who sent the flowers, but it was
someone wanting to help me get my “Joy” back so they sent
flowers. I was curious all day long as to who in the world would
do such a thoughtful and loving thing. I enjoyed the flowers for
a few hours then I knew exactly what I was going to do! I knew
just how those flowers from my “Angel of Joy” was going to spread some
joy.
That evening I took the flowers to mom's. I leaned down at
my brother’s side and told him I had some flowers to give him and he
smiled and gave a painful chuckle of happiness. IT WAS THAT
MOMENT THAT I GOT MY JOY BACK! It was in the giving!
The joy in his eyes warmed my heart like the mid day sun!
It’s been difficult on our entire family, but we all grieve in our own
way. We have never lost a sibling before. We aren’t going
to have him much longer, so I thought while he was still alert most
times, he could read this story and perhaps hear how it blessed
someone’s life by it.
The key word here of course is Joy coupled by love. Someone cared
enough to send me flowers. I call them my "Angel of
Joy". I have shared the joy with my brother; and he can
share his joy with others through this story.
Nothing happens by accident. God shows up at the most perfect
times and this was one of them. I have felt so much more at
peace and am working on accepting that the death of my brother will be
the beginning of his life without pain and an eternity of great “JOY”.
Writer ~ Anonymous
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