Springtime in Northern Virginia

Sunset at 8:09 pm

I went out with a couple of friends last evening.  On the way home, I was driving west into the sunset.  It was bright in my eyes, but beautiful.     It's funny how long the days are now compared to winter when it's dark before 5PM.

Spring planting

We went to a couple of places the last few days and bought some flowering plants for me to put into flower pots.   There are still more to be planted, but I got off to a start anyway

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Rose bud

Iris

I love the spring for the longer days, the warmer temperatures that are not yet too hot.  And the things that bloom.  The birds seem to like it too because they have so much to say!

And yet, with all of this beauty, there is too much sadness.  I have written about the friends who have died in the last few months.  And those fighting terminal cancers so they will have as much time as possible with their loved ones.

Then yesterday I got a text that left me feeling sad.  A woman who I met at a La Leche League meeting about 10 years ago when her first baby was a newborn.  She had a traumatic birth and cried when she tried to introduce herself.  With her second birth, she had a good, healing experience.  I saw her grow into a wonderful, happy, confident woman over the next few years.  Two years ago, at 47, she found out that she was pregnant again.  What a big surprise it was.  And it turned into the happy, welcome birth of a baby boy.  Now that baby is 15 months old and a real joy to the family.  Nursing like a champ.  And the mom just found out that she has breast cancer.   

Life can be so unfair!   I don't think that there's much I can do to help other than be a listener and understand her concerns about sudden weaning.  But she must be thinking about the future.  What will the treatment involve.   Will her kids and husband be okay.