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| Carrie and Maria, women extraordinaire |
Meet my friends Carrie (l) and Maria (r). Oh, I’ve never actually met either one of these fine ladies, but I call them friends nevertheless with utmost sincerity. We’ve talked by phone, through numerous emails, and through a writers’ email list where we first met more than a decade ago. We all share the common bonds of being sisters in faith, Catholic writers, wives and mothers. And as those of you who have experienced the joys of spiritual friendship know, things can get real in a hurry, even through email. It’s a blessing of the faith life, this depth of relationship we can enjoy when we have more than the tangible to tap into!
Recently, Maria, who lives in Oklahoma, was close enough to Chicago, Carrie’s city, to pop over for a visit. Maria just became a grandmother and had been visiting the new babe. She realized she would be within driving distance of Carrie and didn’t want to miss the chance to see her longtime friend. I was delighted to learn my friends would have a chance to see one another in person. The photo offers proof that they were, in fact, together and, from the looks of it, enjoying a delicious breakfast (Eggs Benedict is one of my favs!).
The visit was extraordinary for several reasons. Maria was there, in a sense, representing all of the writers on our email list who have had the privilege of knowing Carrie through the years. Aside from being a beautiful, gracious, smart woman, Carrie is currently engaged in the fight of her life, warring it out with that ugly disease called cancer. It’s her third bout, and the worst of them. Hers has been named stage four metastatic breast cancer — not so lovely sounding — and her chemo began this week. So I asked Carrie and Maria for permission to post this precious photo in part to broaden the prayer appeal. I believe in the power of prayer, even in the face of stage four cancer. Carrie is wife to Stefano, and mother to Matteo, 7, and Francesca, 5. And more than anything else, she’d like to continue mothering her sweet children.
Thank you in advance for the storm of prayers I know will go up from this little corner of the world for Carrie! Each one counts!
Q4U: Do you have any urgent prayer requests to share? Please, let us know who is in need and how we might direct our petitions in their name.
Already praying for Carrie! What a great photo! Lovely ladies!
YES! I will pray! My heart goes out to her. I couldn’t image not being there to mother my children, or even thinking I might not be would be very hard.
This is a touching post, Roxane. Prayers for Carrie, added to those for my friend Colleen, also a fairly young mother of 4 who has inflammatory breast cancer.
Heidi, thanks for coming by, and for being part of the prayer brigade in advance. 🙂
Mary, I just put Colleen on my prayer list next to Carrie’s and my friend Carolyn’s friend, Thea, all struggling with cancer. Thanks for trusting us with that request!
Tabitha, it’s good to know prayers will be coming from across the ocean, too. Gracias!
Praying for Carrie…and her family. My heart goes out to them.
Such a young woman to struggle with the big “C”..and with small children too..of course she needs prayers..they all count:)