Oct 09
29
My Friend and Breast Cancer
As a young mother, I met Jane Opsahl. Jane and Bob were friends with my parents. Bob was an architect, and my father was a contractor. I instantly loved Jane and Bob. Jane was a lovely, charming, very southern lady, and I always was happy to be with her.
She loved my children, was interested in them, and treated them as if they were her grandchildren. Jane developed breast cancer before she and Bob were married. He let her know that he loved her, and they were married. Years later, her cancer recurred. Bob, as always, was supportive as they tried many different experimental and natural treatments.
When Jane went into the hospital at the end of her life, my children were in preschool and kindergarten. I would drop them off and go to the hospital. We visited, and she told us what she wanted for her funeral. We helped bathe her and love her–and yet, she was the brave one who helped us understand that she knew she was loved by God.
Jane taught me that we should live our lives to the fullest. She was a gracious hostess, a lovely guest, and was inspiring to us all. I watched as Bob showed her the greatest love and respect; watching their love grow, even under the most difficult of circumstances, teaches me still how to relate to my family. Breast cancer may have taken her away from us physically, but she still lives in our hearts. Her legacy is wrapped in all of us she touched in her life.
Do you have a memory of a loved one you would like to share with us today?
