Daughters are Gifts from Heaven

I just have to toot a very loud horn for my amazing daughter, Erin.

She "gets" me.

When I am ranting, she just lets  me rant. She doesn't always agree with me, but she lets me be who I am and just allows it. In all of this cancer madness, there is a bit of role reversal taking place. I have become the needy child and she has become the ever-so-patient and tolerant parent. When she calls and I pick up the phone, she can tell just from the sound of my "hello" if I am in a bad place or a good place. And if I am in a bad place, that doesn't last long. Her words become my balm.

Even though she has a very busy life of her own as wife of an amazing guy (Ah, Chip! He could take up another blog post all by himself) and the mother of two gorgeous and very active little boys, she takes the time to just "be" with me, to just listen to me. And she is a great devil's advocate -- not afraid to pull me away from being overly critical or irrational in my thinking. She has pulled me off of a few emotional crisis ledges more than once, that's for sure.

Twice in the past two months, she has traveled down from her home in PA to be at my side for doc visits. It's so helpful to have an extra set of ears to hear what is said. Everyone needs an advocate in a journey of illness. She is more than an advocate -- she is my rock.

Thank you, Erin, for being that rock. And thank you, Chip, for helping keep the home fires burning so she can come down and be at my side. What a lucky Mommy am I.