I’m pretty sure that a lot of you who don’t know me very well have no idea what my favorite saying is. I’ll tell you. It’s, “Ain’t God good?”
In fact, he is so very good that a few days ago was a special day in my life. It was my very own Christmas, and Easter, and Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day, and birthday and Thanksgiving. Did I leave anything out?
This was because, for the very last time, Seth and I went back to St. Dominic’s after fighting breast cancer for about a year. My last mammogram and last PET scan came back A-OK.
As in, finally, I am “cancer-free.”
I have to say it has been a rather long, hard road at times. But the main thing I had to remember is that it could have been worse, much worse.
I’m sure most of you had a dear family member, friend or other acquaintance who didn’t fare as well as I did. But from the very beginning I had a feeling things would be different for me.
I wasn’t really scared during all this time. Only sometimes — well, lots of times, really — I was pretty apprehensive. But I had so many absolutely wonderful folks that kept me going in the right direction, kept me focused, more or less kept me on the straight and narrow, that I didn’t have the time or the chance to get down or to feel sorry for myself.
I wasn’t “one of the lucky ones.” I was one of those that was so very fortunate, so blessed by our Good Lord above. And if you think it was because of some good works or good deeds on this ole girl’s part, I can tell you that you are wrong, wrong, wrong.
It was only by the love and mercy and saving grace of my “Good Buddy Upstairs” that I am even here writing this letter today. So when some folks find out about my favorite saying and question it, all I have to say to them is, “You woke up this morning, didn’t you?”
— Debbie Touchstone, Jayess
