Justice Will Be Sweet

Justice Will Be Sweet

I know life is not fair, but injustice rocks me to the core. I have to remind myself almost daily that this world does not have the last word when the scales of justice are knocked out of balance and are left uncorrected. It’s not just a matter of principle....

Count it joy

Count it joy is more than a suggestion for the Christian undergoing times of testing. It’s more than a virtue exhibited by a mature believer. Counting it all joy is a vital discipline in the life of the genuine follower of Christ. It is in believing the trial...
Can you call it mercy?

Can you call it mercy?

Why didn’t I think to call it mercy? Twenty-five years ago tomorrow, I gave birth to a miracle. In November 1993 I had nearly been killed in an interstate collision with an eighteen-wheeler. I was eight months pregnant with Molly at the time. Rushed to FGH in a...

A Thankful Heart: Three Lessons in Gratitude

As a good southern girl, along with lessons in making cornbread, the proper wearing of white, and saying ma’am and sir, I learned to write thank you notes. I was expected to express my appreciation in person for any thoughtfulness. But I would send a hand-written card...

Planting Hope: Finding hope in death

Accepting the death of a child is hard. Seeing hope in death is even more difficult. A recent experience with ailing flower bulbs helped me learn that finding hope in death comes when we’re able to view burial of someone we love as planting with the expectation...

Little Women Revisited

Little Women has long been one of my favorite books. When I read it the first time, I was probably the same age as Amy March, the youngest of the four sisters, at the beginning of the story. Now, for my most recent foray into the lives of the March family, I’m the...

Laughter: The Lighter Side of Life

We know when tears entered the human race. It’s impossible to imagine Adam and Eve, banished from paradise, dry-eyed and unmoved as they packed for a home among the thorns. Laughter? We don’t have the slightest clue about the first joke, mishap, or self-deprecating...
Edelweiss: Mountain Blooms

Edelweiss: Mountain Blooms

Edelweiss, the moving folk song from The Sound of Music, was one of Maggie’s favorites, and she once performed it for a piano recital. The piece was chosen by Charlie Hardee as a fitting final tribute to a girl known for perseverance before the focus of the...

New Life Leaf by Leaf

“but we will all be changed” I Corinthians 15:51 Today’s leaves are tomorrow’s mulch. That realization, made on the cusp of Maggie’s joy-filled though brief remission in 2016, led to the title and meaning of our website Leaf by Leaf. I had been overwhelmed...

Flying: The Right Words

How can flying be like dying? How can the picture of flying serve as inspiration for one sister’s thoughts on the approaching death of her only sister. Here’s the story: When we called hospice to help us walk Maggie home, the house grew quiet except for...

Funeral Music and Video

Maggie’s Funeral was a celebration of a Faithful God and faith lived well. Her service can be viewed in its entirety by following the link below. Eulogy and message were provided by Scott Hanberry, Phil Hanberry, and Darryl Craft. Charlie Hardee played piano for...

Satisfied Life

A Satisfied Life Loved Well This past Monday night (Aug. 6)  I awoke at 12:30 and found myself unable to return to sleep. I went to Maggie’s room – a place I find myself drawn to – not shying from – in order to feel closer to her. I looked...

08.04.2018 update

I’m posting the first of two “updates” from the medical update portion of Leaf by Leaf. After that I’ll be sharing exclusively from my blog page (a distinction without a real difference for how things will pop up). When we created Leaf by Leaf,...

07.31.2018 update

07/31/2018. We’ll remember this date as the day Maggie went to her eternal HOME. Her final hours were peaceful, quiet, and sweet. Our prayers were answered. We held her hand and walked with her to the point we were allowed. What a sacred moment we shared as she...

07.29.2018 update

The update I hoped to never write… Maggie started a rapid decline early in the week to the point we had our primary care doctor call hospice for us. The hospice nurse made her initial visit last night to start providing care to keep Maggie comfortable. We are at...

07.24.2018 update

Maggie did not get admitted for chemo this week by her own choice. She has been dealing with both tummy issues – upset, nausea – along with fatigue and fluid retention. She wanted more time to a) get stronger for the trip to Texas and b) spend at home with...

07.19.2018 update

Maggie was not admitted today for chemo despite our early morning trip to Batson under the assumption her counts would be good. I’ll save you some time and just say – our hopes rose much higher than her neutrophil count this week. Our friends at the CCC...

07.16.2018 update

Quick update: Maggie’s ANC (neutrophil count) was only 290, well below the 1000 threshold needed for an infusion to happen. The good news is other components indicate the level has bottomed and should be headed back up quickly. We’ll trying again and hope...

07.15.2018 update

Maggie has had a slow but steady recovery from her last chemo round. She has experienced the same cycle of fluid retention, aggravated tummy, and low appetite as after the previous two rounds. The last three days have been good – she has been able to branch out...

07.02.2018 update

This morning as we loaded the car for our trip to Batson, Maggie remembered to pack the neutrophils! Her counts had more than recovered enough to allow her admission for the third round of chemo since leaving the trial at MDA. It’s been one of the days when it...