In case you haven't heard, Asa's cancer has spread from his lungs to many of his bones. They are no longer treating it, and we are all still adjusting to this devastating news and trying to find which way is up. I thought I would let Thomas in on things a little tonight, and here is what he let me in on...
So, we obviously pray for Asa every night during prayer time with Thomas. Tonight he asked God to please help Papa. After he finished his prayers, I asked why we pray for Papa.
Thomas: Because his lungs are sick.
Me: And his bones are sick, now. They have cancer, too.
T: Why do they have cancer?
M: We don’t know. Sometimes people get sick even when they don’t do anything wrong.
T: Like when I don’t eat anything bad, but still throw up sometimes, and get a stomach bug.
M: Yes, but you get better when you have an upset tummy.
T: Papa isn’t going to get better? Will he always have cancer?
M: Yes.
T: Even in heaven?
M: Well, no, he will be completely healthy when he gets to heaven.
T: Then, that isn’t forever, Mommy. He will be better when he gets there.
M: (somehow managing to hold back tears) You’re right, buddy. What do you think Papa will do when he gets to heaven?
T: Run around and play. Just some boy things.
M: Do you think he will hang out with some old Georgia football players?
T: Yes, he’ll play football with them.
M: Do you think he will bowl with God, and it will sound like thunder down here to us?
T: What?!
And, from there he digressed to a discussion of thunder, lightning, tornadoes, and Lightning McQueen.
I thought this was an amazing reminder that Asa will not ALWAYS be sick, as we sometimes think of it, he will soon be healthy and whole. Not a perfect consolation for those of us that don’t get to go, yet, but some solace. What an amazing lesson from a four-year-old that loves his Papa, and is excited to know that he won’t, in fact, have cancer FOREVER.
