Auntie Charlene's Fundraiser was this past Sunday. Auntie is Dad's sister and is both Mom & Dad's best friend. To give you a little history, Dad met Mom when she was hired at KFC.. yep she dated her boss! (Go Mom!) Auntie was her trainer. They became instant friends and their friendship only flourished when Mom and Dad got married. When I think about our childhood, those two were always up to something together. Thelma and Louise. I was blessed to have Auntie Charl named as my God Mother.. and you know what a God Mother means to an Italian family.. if you don't know then I'll tell you. My Aunt has been there for every scrape, broken bone, broken heart.. every triumph and every tribulation. She was my Confirmation Sponsor and she was there riding shotgun when I use to drive by the houses of the cute boys in high school. For as long as I can remember, she has been such an instrumental part of my life. We've always had an inseparable bond and she has always been like a second mother to me. There are so many memories I have of Auntie that it would be impossible to express them all. She is just always there. You can imagine how we felt when Auntie was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma less than two weeks shy of losing Mom. As if our worlds weren't coming crashing down to begin with.. we learned that Auntie had cancer. As sick as she was during Mom's final days.. she did not leave her side. Beyond insufferable exhaustion from her own disease, she sat by Mom's side and made sure Mom knew how much she was loved. Their bond could never be broken.
Auntie Charl took her diagnosis like a champ and stared it in the face. With her family surrounding her she began her fight. Treatments at Dana Farber, infusions, chemo, more infusions, more chemo and then the horrible bone marrow procedure. Dad threw himself into being there for his best friend and sister. He needed her as much as she needed him. Together they'd make the Wednesday trips up and my cousins and Stephen would do the Saturdays. Certainly there were tough days.. but she always managed to drag herself up out of them and keep fighting. I had the opportunity to be with Auntie on the day she decided it was time to shave her head. I knew how difficult this day would be for her and I was honored to be the one who took her. That day turned into one of the best bonding moments for us yet. We could have cried.. we could have totally SOBBED. We didn't. She sat there so brave in the chair, watched her locks fall to the ground and smiled... then we went to IParty for wigs! Not just any wigs either.. LOL We filled that day with love and laughter (frozen yogurt) and despite it being such a traumatic day, we turned it around and made it fun! I'll cherish that memory always as it really stands out to me how very strong my aunt is.
The days crept on and the trips to Dana Farber continued. All which lead us to yesterday. For those of you who don't know about this cancer, it is incurable and has a very high rate of coming back. I am thrilled to say that Auntie's cancer is sleeping and God I pray it sleeps for a long, long time to come. Bills had begun to pile up adding to her stress when Danielle and Amy approached us about doing a fundraiser...it took off from there. Together as a family we banded together and made it happen! With Amy, Danielle and Dad at the helm.. the Friends of Charlene Barron came to life!
I don't think ANY of us expected it to happen the way it did although.. I will say that I am not surprised. My Aunt's generosity and good nature has touched MANY people on this earth. There isn't a single person she meets, that doesn't remember her. (I can attest to this as I can't tell you how many times we have been in public together and she doesn't just run into one person she knows.. but like 10...All of whom are always ecstatic to see her). She has this zest for life and enthusiasm unlike any other. You never see her without a big, beautiful smile plastered across her face. Yesterday, I would say close to 400 people were in attendance at her fundraiser. What a testament to such an amazing person! There were so many friends and family there to support her I hope that her heart remains full for a long time to come. THANK YOU just simply isn't enough.
Auntie, I know that these past 9 months have been the worst you've been through, for so many reasons. I am so proud of the way you have courageously taken on this battle all while grieving Mom. I often think that Mom knew there was no way for her to survive her disease and it was her time to go be at peace. At the same time, I know she left this world wearing your heart on her sleeve and she is going to make damn sure she see's you through this. Together as the amazing family that we are, we are going to Crush It with our angel guiding us from above and we will always be your CREW! I love you from the bottom of my heart and I can't wait to be sipping NO PROBLEMS on the beach with you this summer! We've got your back.. always! Be brave ;)
So this my way of finding the blessings, amongst missing my mother dearly. 9 months.. Continue to guide us Mom and we'll continue to count every single blessing. Each day is a gift friends.. cherish that gift!
Promise me you'll always remember,
You're braver than you believe,
Stronger than you seem
and Smarter than you think.
But the most important thing is,
even if we're apart
I'll always be with you..
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