My daughter, Kelly, was crowned the Atlantic Shores Christian School 2005 Homecoming Queen tonight......every young ladies dream. True to form, she had the crown off within 5 minutes and was in the bleachers with her cheer team, gown and all, cheering on "her" boys. I am amazingly proud of this incredible life I brought into this world. She graduates in June and I pray every night that she will choose to stay home to attend college rather then move away.
I also count my blessings that I am here to witness her success in everything she tries her hand at.
There were two young ladies in the homecoming court tonight that touch my heart and whose family I think of every day. We call them The Carlson family, and they are one of the most popular families at our school. There are four Carlson children, Jared, Anna, Ryan, and Sally....all the type of children we dream of having. Dad is one of the kindest men I've known to date. Mom is dying of ovarian cancer and has been battling and fighting for every minute of life for the past four years. They gave her a year to live, four years ago. Her will to live is palpable when you're in a room with her. It's obvious that she's sick, very sick, but she is always smiling. These kids have spent the past four years watching their mother slowly die and her time is getting closer and closer. The cancer has spread to her stomach and liver now. They operated almost two weeks ago and removed half of her liver and most of her stomach, they told her family they didn't expect her to leave the hospital after this last go around. She begged to be able to come to homecoming, both her daughters were in the court, Anna as a 10th grader, and Sally as the 11th grade rep. She simply wasn't strong enough to come and I felt myself watching her children just as much as I watched my own child. I wish there was a way for me to give Mrs. Carlson the memories I have of her daughters at homecoming. Her daughter, Sally, was named Maid of Honor, a special honor for an 11th grader. When we were all taking pictures after the ceremony, I watched the two girls with their father and could see that the two girls missed their mother being there. They went out back and used the cell phone to call her at the hospital and left early to go to the hospital rather then out to eat with the rest of the court. I left there in awe of these kids and this wonderful, brave woman lying in Norfolk General Hospital tonight, knowing she has very little time left, but still manages a smile and a positive attitude for her children.
It is a certainty that cancer disrupts and changes our lives, but some of us are so much luckier then others.
Please say a prayer for the Carlson family.
Thanks for listening,
Minnie

SCC Left Mandible. Jaw replaced with bone from leg. Neck disection, 37 radiation treatments. Recurrence 8-28-07, stage 2, tongue. One third of tongue removed 10-4-07. 5-23-08 chemo started for tumor behind swallowing passage, Our good friend and much loved OCF member Minnie has been lost to the disease (RIP 10-29-08). We will all miss her greatly.