Someone For You to Meet

I must say that I am a little overwhelmed by the response I have gotten the last few days.

To those of you who told your friends and even for those who are continuing to read, thank you. 

All of the views made me even look over the last post, which is odd because I rarely read over my posts, even for editing purpose (much to the dismay of my mother), and I discovered that I forgot to talk about one very important person. (Well there are a lot of important people I left out but there is one in particular)

I've kind of talked about her before, but I realized that I never really told you who she was to me.

Her name is Annie and she is the epitome of her namesake: Gracious. 

This is Annie and I when she was six years old. Her eyes stayed that bright until the end.

Annie got diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of cancer at the age of two.

The doctors predicted she wouldn't make it to three, she got to seven.

But this story is not about her death, for it is her life that holds so much meaning.

She was the epitome of faith in a beautiful, blond, blue-eyed little girl. 

Although she wasn't really that little.

Annie went through several rounds of cancer.

When they thought it was gone,  it came back. When the cancer-free party was planned the results returned positive.

I remember she was four years old when I heard the cancer had returned, she wiped my tears, and told me that she was going to be ok because God loved her. And as I continued to cry, she started to laugh, called me silly and then walked away to go play. At four years old she had a faith I can’t muster at nineteen, and in spite of all of her struggles and pain still has an ability to unconditionally love that I aspire to.   

Her brilliant blue eyes always shined hope throughout the pain,.

Her faith was strong enough to shake mountains, to paralyze oceans and to change lives.

In the face of tumors, surgery and chemo she kept her head raised toward Heaven and was always grateful for the things she had, and was always full of assurance that her God will save her. 

And he did time and time again. Even when saving her meant taking her "home-home"

When I was struggling with all of my medical issues I thought of her, and I suddenly felt strong enough to push through. 

She had a strength I envy and trust I try to emulate.  She embodied all I yearn to be, and she did so as a child.

Annie and I had a rule; a rule that I am grateful to say was never broken. Every time she saw me, she had to give me a hug. In spite of the bad days and the even worse ones she came. Whenever she spotted me, from no matter how long of a distance, she would come running from her mother’s side, into my open arms. Her mother will search for only a second for her daughter, but then would smile at the two of us.

If the only thing important I do in my life was to love that little girl, it will be enough.

If I had given her anything in return, my soul could rise happily to Heaven.

Because she gave me so much.

Annie never gave up. 

Her strength never faltered and that she never lost her ability to hope for the best.

Her eyes stayed bright and never faded as the world beat her down. She fought with every last breath, but when the time came, and her family was all near, she finally found peace. 

She was finally healed. She “rose on eagles wings” to her home, her true home. And her suffering is finally over.

C.S. Lewis once said, 

"My own eyes are not enough for me; I will see through those of others"

I aspire to view the world through Annie’s eyes.

In her eyes there was always a silver lining, a rainbow at the end of the storm. In her eyes there was a world full of possibilities, and good. 

And even as she ascended to join the angels her inspiration lives on.

 She ran to her Father with open arms. 

She has the ability to dance and sing like she never could in her body here on earth.

And I am sure that Annie’s eyes still contain all of the love they always have.

In fact I am positive her eyes contain much, much more.