September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

It is the end of September which means the end of my September is National Children's Cancer Awareness Month campaign on Facebook.  Was it well received?  I don't know that I care.  It was important to me to revisit this month four years ago.  It was important to me to revisit all that a child's cancer brought to my life, and took from it. 
When I was little there was a girl that had cancer.  I don't remember what kind for sure, but I think leukemia.  When I went outside to play, she stayed inside.  I don't remember her dying, but I know that she did.  I imagine it was too difficult for my parents to explain the death of a child to me.  It is still too difficult for the death of a child to be explained to me. 
You all know Ashlyn's story, our story.  I repeat it often because hers is a story of strength and faith.  It is a story of our community wrapping their arms around us and doing all that they could possibly do to make sure we were ok.  It is a story about a family that has been a team, an undefeatable team for over 22 years. 
I know that there are a million and one charities that are worthy of your money.  But when you are asked to donate to Curesearch. Make a Wish, Child Life, St Jude's or any number of other children's charities, please know that you are giving in the name of people like Ashlyn who is in her third year of remission, is an honor student at ISU, has traveled to Europe, volunteered with Dance Marathon, and continues to live her life fully.  You are also donating in the name of people like Ella who will forever be five years old.  A child that took on cancer with such a zest for living that we all were sure that she would survive.  On the day that Ashlyn and I last visited her, she should have been wiped out in bed but instead, had sheets and blankets draped over chairs and IV poles.  She and her sister had created a mess of a town in her hospital room.  She went to Kansas City for a transplant.  It all became too much for her little body.  If you ask Ashlyn, she will tell you that she will always make forts.
So, I wrap up this month with one last thing.  September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.  For many every day is an awareness.  Cancer can be treated, it can go into remission, a person can be declared cancer free.  But what it does to a person, to their family, to their faith, it lasts a lifetime.  I will not speak for Ashlyn or for Hayley, Jacob or Danny, but for me cancer only intensified the incredible family bond that we have.  Cancer brought me back to faith, brought me back my mom, brought me a feeling of overwhelming grace and peace and understanding.  Understanding that everyone has a struggle, a fight, a battle and that these wars we wage or that are waged against us have no measure.