5 years ago today Mom began her fight with Oral Cancer. She was diagnosed on April 1st, 2004 which happened to be her oldest granddaughters birthday. Her initial surgery was April 16th, her third daughters birthday. She began radiation treatments on her 6th daughters birthday and ended them on her second granddaughters birthday. Her second surgery was in 2007 on her forth daughters birthday. This year on October 29th, my birthday, mom passed away. We decided to cancel birthdays for the next few years�

I spent the day keeping busy and decided since I am making room for a new baby (our family is FINALLY going to have a boy!) it was time to unpack my suit cases from my mission trip to Africa I took in 2006. In my suitcase I found a CD mom made for me to listen to on my trip. I never listened to it, until today. It is a really random mix of songs theres some journey, james blunt, shakira, billy ray cyrus (!), rascall flatts and then a song I had never heard before. I looked it up it�s a Brad Paisley song. I was reduced to tears. It�s called When I Get Where I�m Going. Mom didn�t even really like country music (except Martina Mcbride and Reba) so I was really surprised. It�s little things like finding this song and other things that make my sisters and I realize that mom really had accepted her fate and was certain she would be in heaven soon. Here are the lyrics. Enjoy!



When I Get Where I'm Going lyrics
(feat. Dolly Parton)

When I get where I'm going
On the far side of the sky
The first thing that I'm gonna do
Is spread my wings and fly

I'm gonna land beside a lion
And run my fingers through his mane
Or I might find out what it's like
To ride a drop of rain

[Chorus]
Yeah when I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tears
I will shed the sins and struggles
I have carried all these years
And I'll leave my heart wide open
I will love and have no fear
Yeah when I get where I'm going
Don't cry for me down here

I'm gonna walk with my grand daddy
And he'll match me step for step
And I'll tell him how I missed him
Every minute since he left
Then I'll hug his neck

[Repeat chorus]

So much pain and so much darkness
In this world we stumble through
All these questions I can't answer
So much work to do

But when I get where I'm going
And I see my maker's face
I'll stand forever in the light
Of his amazing grace
Yeah when I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tears
Hallelujah
I will love and have no fear
When I get where I'm going
Yeah when I get where I'm going

Amy, I can't tell you how much those lyrics meant to me today. Recently,have been having more sadness over my daughter's death. That song is awesome.....THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! Your Mom is still touching our lives.....
My son also died, 5 yrs before Christa. He had been paralyzed in an accident, and died of a rapid onset pneumonia after 2 1/2 yrs. He had learned to live w/ his paralysis. I have hopes and faith they are all in a better place now.
THANKS again for posting that note and the lyrics. Meaningful....
My thoughts are with you. Your Mom was a grrrrreat lady....and did have a deep strength, prolly related to her faith.

Awesome lyrics for us all. And awesome memories of your mom. Thanks.

Donna

Amy- Thanks for posting such a powerful message and for the Dolly lyrics. I never have heard that song but now I'll put it on my ipod. Very inspiring. I'm not that into country music but i have a special place in my heart for for Dolly!

You know your mom was a very brave and strong woman from what i knew of her from posting on here. I didn't know that she had struggled with OC for 5 years. Its amazing how each major milestone happened on a birthday. I hope that one day you will celebrate birthdays again and when you do your Mom will most certainly be there at the partyies with all of her girls.
Must be very hard right now though I'd imagine.

I believe in heaven and in signs and I think she wanted you to find that cd to give you a happy loving memory of her.
Makes me smile.

KATE

Amy, I just have to say how much this post has moved me. I like country music as I do all music except some of the garbage they call music now. Thanks for the post and I do like this song very much.

Amy,

As I have said in recent posts...I miss your Mom so much - she was such a force when I first signed on here after Bill's diagnosis.

Congrats on the upcoming birth of your baby boy...how exciting for a family of girls!

Deb

Amy,
Thanks so much for sharing this with us. Your Mom meant so much
to me that I have a hard time coming back here without her here.
I am so happy for your upcoming baby. What a joy your Mother would
have had.
She is like me, my children are my everything and I will fight
to the end to be with them. We will miss her forever as will you too. But memories are just that, no one can take them away. She
wanted to create that memory for you.

Thanks for sharing with us. I wish you so much happiness with
your new little joy. She is with you always in your heart and memories.

Love,
Debbie

Amy,

Thinking about your mom and reading those lyrics brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for the post. And, congrats on the boy in the family. I am from a family of girls and all of the girls had girls...and, then my husband and I decided after having a girl that we'd break tradition so we adopted a boy. Man are boys different...I think they are harder in their own little curious, no fear, death defying ways. :-) But, they are also a ton of fun!!!

I hope we continue to hear from you. I know it's hard to come back here. When is the boy due?