It's All Good

These are my friends, Maggie and Debbie. I took this picture November 1, 2007. Maggie is the one sitting in the chair. She is my age. She has breast cancer and she died yesterday.

Five years ago, Maggie, Debbie and I were neighbors. We have watched our children grow, talked about how they would marry each other and shared our daily ups and downs. It's great having neighbors like that. When Maggie's husband Pat announced that his job was transferring him out of state, we couldn't believe it. I remember praying that thru some miracle the transfer wouldn't go thru. Maggie just said "It's all good"...packed up her little family and left us. We continued our friendship long distance. Debbie and Maggie were especially close so, I stayed in touch thru Christmas letters, occassional calls and Debbie. I couldn't believe it when Deb told me that Maggie had breast cancer. You have to know that Maggie is an optomist. I am an optomist too, but Maggie has raised being positive to an art-form. More truthfully said, living with hope was the only way Maggie lived. And so when she told us about her surgery, her hair loss and her chemo, she would say, "It's all good." Deb and I prayed for miracles.

Maggie's cancer seemed to go away, and then about four years ago it came back with a vengence. The Dr.'s caring for her didn't see a long future. Pat moved the family back to Utah and with a smile on her face, and amidst raising three growing girls (12, 10 and 8), holding down church callings and working part-time, Maggie engaged in a battle for her life. She took her family to counseling to prepare them and she received a blessing that thru the next few years, she would often talk about, saying "I was promised that I would be able to raise my girls to maturity." And Deb and I prayed for a miracle.

The picture above was the last time I saw Maggie. She wanted to know all about Dane's recent illness, and as I was telling her the story any time I hesitated, she would urge me to tell her more details, she would say "Oh, Kjirsten, it must've been awful, I am so glad Dane is ok!" I felt so uncomfortable talking about my happy ending when I knew her family would not receive one. And again she talked about the blessing she had received four years ago. She said she was so thankful that it took so long for the cancer to reach one of her major organs, she said "My girls are so much more mature now (16, 14 and 12) than they were 4 years ago. It's all good." I love this picture, because I love the looks on our faces. It was a happy day. I knew I would never see Maggie again in this life, and it felt great to be with her. We left her after saying a prayer together. It was all good.

When I heard that Maggie went in to the ICU right before Thanksgiving, Deb and I prayed for her and her family...and yes, we prayed for a miracle. The Dr's said 24 for hours was all she had left. When she was still hanging on by the Monday after Thanksgiving, we thought maybe our miracle had come. Pat called Debbie last night and told her that Maggie had gone home. He was in good spirits Deb said. Pat told her that a harpist had come and played in Maggie's room on Wed. and had asked him if she could return to play for Maggie again on Thursday. By this time, Maggie had been incoherent for a few days. The harpist came and played again the next day anyway, and after she left, Pat went over to Maggie, and noticed a tear on her cheek. He said it was then that she returned to Heavenly Father.

I wanted a miracle, just like when she moved away, I didn't want her to leave. Now I understand that Maggie, the way she lived her life and loved the Lord,...Maggie was the miracle. And she was right, it's all been good. God bless you, Maggie.