Son Tommy and daughter-in-law Jena recently moved in with us so he can continue his treatments in St. Louis. It's usually tougher than one expects to cohabitate with one's parents once you've established your own routines. Things tend to shift this way and that after seven years away, and they don't fit together exactly as expected. As Thomas Wolfe opined, "You can't go home again".
Nonetheless, we are thrilled to have Tommy and Jena with us under the same roof. Cancer impacts the whole family, and a unified effort can make things easier. My son Mike recently told me that families are people who help one another, and he's right. I especially like the transformation of Tommy's old room from "teenage boy" motif to decidedly "married guy".
I view surgery and chemotherapy as an unexpected and unwanted interlude in Tommy's life. Cancer is evil, and as such, it will yield to better things. It will not define Tommy, as I believe he and Jena will advance past this to accomplish their life goals. Looking back from some future vantage point, this will likely be viewed as a blip. Perhaps in some way, it may lead to some higher level of blessing over the long haul.
The future is safe, but for now there are things to do, and it's great to have Tommy and Jena (and Lyla) here. Maybe next time they move out, it won't be so far!
No comments:
Post a Comment