The Afternoon of Life

 Tonight I stepped out of the tub and looked into the mirror to see my father staring back at me.  I saw the intense look he used to have when deep in thought.  My eyes are a very clear green...his were crystal blue!  But there was an intensity to his gaze and I often wondered how much of him was in me.  I knew I looked so much like him...his curly dark hair, his "banana" nose, his personality, his sense of humor, his easy-going spirit, his take-life-as-it-comes attitude.  What I wish I had gotten from him was his integrity, his depth of love for God and all things Jesus, his deep sense of wonder and faith that God would answer his prayers.  He wasn't perfect...but, boy, he was close.  And as I looked into his eyes tonight I had to thank him.  You see he left a gift for me that came only because of my experience with facing death in the eyes (my cancer) and then facing his death.  He left  behind something to keep him ever present in my life.  He left sisters...my aunts

 I've been away from blogging for a couple of weeks.  I thought an impending disaster was about to unfold in my life.  My simple trip for glasses (I wrote about this at the beginning of the month) turned into month long turmoil that included a visit to the neurologist...a brain scan/MRI...a spinal tap (with accompanying 95-hour debilitating spinal headache)...and then...THE MIRACLE. The MRI showed something on the optic nerve...something that indicated the need for the spinal tap.  The first good news was a spinal tap that was clear...no malignant cells in the brain.  But as good as that news was, the miracle came the following week when the neuro-ophthalmologist could not find anything wrong with the optic nerve...NOTHING...NADA.  It was there last week...it was gone this week.  God is still in the business of healing and miracles!  I credit this to immense prayer support.  I am humbled at the answered prayer and sometimes wonder how and why God chooses to heal or not heal.  I