OH, WHAT A NIGHT!

Oh what a very special time for me. As I remember what a night

The Four Seasons

June, 2020

you’re off to great places! Today is your day!
your mountain is waiting so get on your way—
Dr. Seuss

Oh, what a night!! The song is playing over and over in my head! Tonight we celebrated Jake’s high school graduation in style with my favorite, a backyard bbq complete with the tents and tables! You know it’s a party when you go to pick up tables and chairs from a friend in a pickup truck! We have been back and forth for weeks about whether we should have a party or not with all of the Corona virus mess all around. We decided to have a small intimate get together OUTSiDE with our family and only a couple of other sweet neighbors and friends. Well, as the weekend got closer I threw all caution into the wind and just started inviting people over. I couldn’t help it. I was ready to celebrate, so my sweet little get together turned into a “ I have no idea how many are coming” crowd!

My mom and dad came up from Florida for the week, our dear friends from Savannah, and my sweet sister in law and her boys from Wilmington. We were breaking all the rules!! Yikes! As Jake’s best child hood friends, former teachers, coaches, mentors, and friends (who are more like family) rolled into the backyard I looked around and felt truly as if God had put them there at that very moment to show Jake the faces of those who supported him at every corner.

We woke up that morning to dreary skies, wind, and rain. The radar showed all clear after 3pm. Well, 3pm came and went… still raining! We postponed the party for an hour… texting furiously to make sure everyone knew we would start at 6 instead of 5. 4 pm… still raining. In good mom fashion, I had rounded up childhood pictures and had fun decorations ready to set up on the table… yeah, that was not going to happen! I let myself get frustrated and just prayed for a break in the rain! See, yes, this was a great celebration for my deserving senior but I was also, silently, allowing myself to celebrate 10 months to the day of my August, 2019 deNovo diagnosis of Metastatic Breast Cancer to my bones. On a side note, I am normally a spotlight girl—give me a mic and a stage and you’ll never shut me up– but when it comes to celebrating my little milestones, I have not let myself do that?? So tonight, I was celebrating (secretly) the success of the last ten months—back surgery, 16 rounds of chemo, a lumpectomy, 20 rounds of radiation, and who knows how many terrifying scans which are all showing my places in my bones silent. Can I get some spirit fingers!!?? I get to be on coast mode for a bit thanks to amazing researchers for MBC developing new meds every day. I’m finishing my first month of Kisqali/Letrozole/Xgeva/Lupron. Good grief! 10 months ago Tylenol was my craziest medication. To say this night was important was an understatement to me. I guess that’s why I kept adding to the guest list… oops.. and yes, we socially distanced in the back yard.

At 5:30, my troops wiped tables and chairs, put out the food, and went with it. Yes, it was windy and chilly for June but not one raindrop fell after 5:30. Thank you God for a wonderful night-on the plus side, no bugs and nobody was sweating like crazy!! Haha!! My Ultra optimistic mom kept saying all afternoon,” It’s going to clear up!” with hardly a doubt in her voice and at one point I had to laugh and lovingly mimic her:) Well, she must have an “in” because she knew what she was talking about. As I visited with the different groups during the party, I heard belly laughs from grandparents and teenagers alike! I heard teachers telling hilarious stories and neighbors & family reminiscing about stories from long ago. I toasted champagne with my bestie and let myself tear up a Ms Pete fudgy brownie! I heard new friends talking about fun times to come and even got to watch my crazy, amazing nephew kite surf right behind my house in 20 mph winds. Best of all I got to listen to Kenneth give a beautiful graduation “speech” about his middle son highlighting his strength through an almost impossibly challenging year of Covid.

The sun was a big ball in the sky and we all watched it fall and melt into the water from the deck! It was the most beautiful sunset we had seen since we moved in last August 2019.