I realize that is all so serious...let me rewind the past couple of weeks...or even 4 years I guess.
A year ago my friend Kelli was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She didn't blink. The first time I saw her after her diagnosis, was about 6 months after she was diagnosed, had already been through rounds of chemo, and was in remission. We were having a girls night around Christmas time last year, and she cracked a joke about taking off her hair as we sat down for the movie because it was far too hot, and now she understood why guys keep their hair cut short all the time. That's how she always was. She just kept moving forward, with the utmost positive attitude about everything, never blinking. Kelli was a young single working gal like myself. Never married, but that never stopped her from living life the way it should. She was such an example to me of being stalwart, faithful, and optimistic. That is what I really learned from Kelli and her life and example - no matter what life throws at you, whether it be from left field or a line drive, you just swing for the fence and run, never looking back or stopping. She was courageous and valiant in every way.
I had the chance to visit with her for a few hours a couple of months ago. She was pretty sick, and was just starting another round of chemo. Her best friend Tiffany was in town taking care of her for a couple of weeks. Kelli was as positive and hopeful as ever. She didn't complain, she was telling me all about how this round and the upcoming rounds of chemo were a different path than her oncologist had taken with her before but felt like it was really going to make a difference. They'd be shorter, more powerful rounds of treatment, but more frequent. They really thought there were gonna get it this time, she told me. (For those of you who don't know, ovarian cancer is an extremely aggressive form of cancer). She didn't complain, not at all. Then she spent hours checking in on me and my life. We commiserated over dating and she gave me courage regarding the boy I had recently started dating, whom I had a date with the next day. She texted me the next day to see how it went. Although that was the last time I saw her, I'm glad that I left and we had spent the evening together laughing and loving and just discussing the realities of life - with hope. She had a smile on her face the last time I saw her. We talked a couple of times after that, and she would constantly text me to check in, just to see how I was doing. Freak, she was the one going through aggressive cancer treatments.
What a woman. I'm so grateful for her. I cried today, a lot. I mean, I balled like a baby. I was probably supposed to go back to work after the funeral was over, but I couldn't handle it. I got in my car, and I just lost it. I couldn't compose myself, and I definitely couldn't get a handle on my emotions enough to go back to work and deal with customers with class and composure. So I did what any emotional, tired, sad, hurting female would do - I went to In-N-Out and got a double-double and Dr. Pepper, and then stopped at The Sweet Tooth Fairy and got a cookie. No wonder I'm fat...hahaha. Food is totally my emotional comfort. SHAME ON ME. Oh well. Life goes on. Then I came home, took off my dress, my evil killer underwire, and plopped into bed for a nap. It wasn't so much a nap as it was a lay-down-for-a-while-to-decompress-but-not-really-sleep moment. It was good just to slow down for an hour. You can see her brief obituary here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/saltlaketribune/obituary.aspx?n=kelli-denise-livingston&pid=159951963#fbLoggedOut
I love you Kelli.
I had the chance to visit with her for a few hours a couple of months ago. She was pretty sick, and was just starting another round of chemo. Her best friend Tiffany was in town taking care of her for a couple of weeks. Kelli was as positive and hopeful as ever. She didn't complain, she was telling me all about how this round and the upcoming rounds of chemo were a different path than her oncologist had taken with her before but felt like it was really going to make a difference. They'd be shorter, more powerful rounds of treatment, but more frequent. They really thought there were gonna get it this time, she told me. (For those of you who don't know, ovarian cancer is an extremely aggressive form of cancer). She didn't complain, not at all. Then she spent hours checking in on me and my life. We commiserated over dating and she gave me courage regarding the boy I had recently started dating, whom I had a date with the next day. She texted me the next day to see how it went. Although that was the last time I saw her, I'm glad that I left and we had spent the evening together laughing and loving and just discussing the realities of life - with hope. She had a smile on her face the last time I saw her. We talked a couple of times after that, and she would constantly text me to check in, just to see how I was doing. Freak, she was the one going through aggressive cancer treatments.
What a woman. I'm so grateful for her. I cried today, a lot. I mean, I balled like a baby. I was probably supposed to go back to work after the funeral was over, but I couldn't handle it. I got in my car, and I just lost it. I couldn't compose myself, and I definitely couldn't get a handle on my emotions enough to go back to work and deal with customers with class and composure. So I did what any emotional, tired, sad, hurting female would do - I went to In-N-Out and got a double-double and Dr. Pepper, and then stopped at The Sweet Tooth Fairy and got a cookie. No wonder I'm fat...hahaha. Food is totally my emotional comfort. SHAME ON ME. Oh well. Life goes on. Then I came home, took off my dress, my evil killer underwire, and plopped into bed for a nap. It wasn't so much a nap as it was a lay-down-for-a-while-to-decompress-but-not-really-sleep moment. It was good just to slow down for an hour. You can see her brief obituary here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/saltlaketribune/obituary.aspx?n=kelli-denise-livingston&pid=159951963#fbLoggedOut
I love you Kelli.
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