Faith

Since we received our diagnosis on Sept 21st 2012, we have been showered with kind words from family, friends, and even strangers.  The most common sentiment we have heard is "our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family"  Many folks have even put Aidan on the prayer lists at their respective places of worship and we have received a couple of lovely gifts from various church groups that our friends belong to.  Others have simply said they are thinking of us, or sending positive healing energy our way.  

Jamie and I appreciate those sentiments and what we take away from both is that our family is loved and that folks are pulling for us to get through this tremendous battle that we have just started.  The fact that people are taking the time every day to reflect on our situation and wish us well helps us feel less alone and gives us just a bit more strength to push onward.  So please keep thinking about us and wishing us well in any way that is a comfort to you.

I mentioned in a Facebook status when this all began that we are a spiritual family and not necessarily a religious one.  As we continue to move forward in this journey, I think now may be a good time to clarify and expound on that statement.

We believe that we are all connected to each other and all things. Through those connections we are also connected to  a greater universal energy that is omnipresent.  I have felt these connections and been filled with this energy. I've felt it standing on the shore of a vast ocean as the tides laps cool water over my toes.  I've felt it sitting in front of a warm fire on a quiet and clear night when there are too many stars to even count.  I've felt it on runs with the dog, when we sync our strides, the world melts away, and movement seems effortless. I've felt it in art and music. Mostly though I feel it in our family.  I feel it when I hug the boys tight and kiss them on the forehead.  I feel it when Jamie and I embrace and kiss. 

We believe this energy is pure and infinite and that it is the alpha and omega of all things. We don't believe that this energy rewards or punishes. We don't believe it creates destinies or changes the course of people's lives. It simply just exists as part of us, connecting us to all things. Believe it or not, this has been a great comfort to us during this ordeal. 

Life, on a molecular and cellular level, is a complicated  and extremely fragile process. The margins for error are ridiculously minuscule and because of this sometimes even beautiful and innocent children get very sick and even sometimes die. We don't have to ask "Why us?" We don't try to discern what we are meant to learn from this struggle or how having such a wonderful child get cancer could be part of any master plan.  We just accept that IT IS and we focus our energies on dealing with it the best we can.  

We place our faith in Aidan's doctors, nurses, and all the wonderful staff at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. We place our faith in the cancer researchers all across the world tirelessly working to develop new treatments for this awful disease while they work towards the goal of finding a cure.  We put our faith in the love of friends and family to see us through this battle as it has done so many times before. In moments of joy we embrace and celebrate our connections and bask in the energy.  In times of struggle we try to reflect and be still to feel those connections and be filled with that spirit once again.

As I said before, we welcome prayers, thoughts, healing vibes and incantations of all forms. The very fact that people are taking time to introspectively reflect on our family and our situation means a great deal to us.  We love and are connected to each and every one of you.