before the enemy

She used to love walking, through parks, along sidewalks, in the company of a friend. She was a fast walker, moving a rapid pace until she returned, nearly out of breath. Now she sits, oxygen tank by her side, the tubes traveling up to her nose. Without even moving, she is already out of breath. Her walking days are over... She now spends her time in her favorite chair, sometimes doing a puzzle, other times just relaxing. She is no longer the pace setter. Her pace has been set for her by the enemy living within her body - cancer. Over the past months it has made her pace slower and slower until getting up to take a few steps sets her into a fit of coughing. Her body is frail, and those firm hugs she used to give - a little looser. The few strands of hair she still has peek from underneath the baseball cap she no longer goes without. She is no longer the same person. The cancer has over taken her body and turned her into someone weak and frail. The only thing that has not faltered is her heart, her spirit, and her faith. She still laughs, jokes, smiles, and believes. She is still the same caring, tenderhearted, loving woman, everyone loves. And because of that spirit, that hope, she is strong.

She will always be one of the most respected and treasured people in my life... whether she is sitting right next to me, or whether one day she is forced to live on in my heart. She is my aunt, I love her and I will never forget all the different ways she has touched my life. She has been a part of shaping who I am, and I hope that one day I have the privelege of being even a fraction of the person she is. She is truly amazing...