This past week, my heart has been overwhelmed with great sadness. My dear friend, Jeanette was diagnosed with brain cancer. She had surgery today and they were able to remove the big tumor. But she still has a long road of recovery plus treatment for the other tumors.
I have cried and prayed so hard for her this week. And I've thought about the many memories I've had with her. Being a PK, I've known many who have gotten sick, but I've had a hard time knowing that Jeanette has cancer because my relationship with her is different. She was always there for me since we moved to West Chester. I've always been close to my parents, but I really believe Jeanette helped me survive life as a teenager. She let me vent to her about many things, talk to her about friends and boys and she just spent time with me. She would take me to her classroom several times each summer to clean and get things organized for the kids. She took me out to eat many times just to chat. She would take me shopping. And she bought my first set of dishes-my cloud dish set. I have great memories of our family taking a vacation with her and Jim up to Mackinac Island. I have many memories of riding in the back of their station wagon to the restaurant they were taking us to. Lots of smiles, laughs and great conversations. And in more recent years, they were able to attend my wedding (even though it was 2 & 1/2 hours away from West Chester). It was so special to have them there. And this past spring, I was able to introduce my daughter to Jim and Jeanette. It was a special thing to see Jeanette holding Cora and playing with her for the few minutes we were able to visit. They always make time to for me, even if it's for a short time.
And as I was thinking back on all the memories I've had with Jeanette and how she had such an important role in my life (especially during those awkward teen years), I couldn't help but think...am I being a Jeanette to anyone in my life? I am going to try harder in the relationships with the girls/teens to be more intentional and spend more time just getting to know them, let them talk, vent and tell all about the drama and boys in their lives. I think everyone deserves a Jeanette in their lives!
