Ellen Crush is a lady who is an old friend to some and a new friend to others. That’s the way the world of blogging goes. There are some who started in this endeavor at an early time…. and some of us came late. Soon I will come upon my first anniversary. I don’t know when Ellen started but when I came on the scene she found my site, I suppose through John or Becky’s blogs. She was so encouraging and made such witty and winning remarks, I liked her immediately.

Ellen is a teacher who loves teaching and loves her husband and pets. She recently got the news that her cancer had returned and the prognosis is not all that great. Still she continues to claim her right to life and is making a very good argument for recovery. She has been told this is terminal. That is unacceptable to those of us who love her. We continue to pray and hope for a miracle.

I found a piece written by James E. Miller the other day in my file and shared part of it at that time. This is the other part, written by Miller….and I want to dedicate this to Ellen who is facing her adversary with courage and grace. God bless you, dear friend…….you are loved.
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This time is a time you will not forget. It is a time that is breaking you open and re-shaping you. You will never be the same.

Remember: you can shape this time, even as it shapes you. You are not powerless. You are not entirely at the mercy of whatever has happened to you. It may feel that way to you at the moment. You may wonder if you’ll ever regain control of your life. The truth is this: you will and you won’t, and that’s good.

You will regain more control over your life with the passing of time and in the living of your days. Your hurt will decrease. Your feelings of emptiness will subside. You’ll be able to look back and see the happiness. You’ll find yourself starting to look forward and to feel more hopeful. You’ll sense you’re more yourself.

And at the same time, you won’t regain control. For you’re coming to know that ultimately much of life is beyond your control, and beyond anyone’s control. It can be lived, but it cannot be contained. It can be appreciated, but it cannot be narrowly confined. It can be embraced, but it cannot be held too tightly. For life ultimately is a gift. It comes from far beyond you, and that is also its destiny.

May the experiences you are living through help you toward those realizations. May you be on the path of living your life for all it’s worth. And never forget: it’s worth a great deal………

Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther