I don’t recall too many back to school things growing up. I vaguely remember shopping for school supplies at Venture. Being the 3rd girl out of 4, I got mostly hand-me-downs. I do remember the typical front porch picture with my neat pigtails with bows. Yes, at one point in my life, I actually wore a bow. Not just one, but two! One for each pigtail. I’m pretty sure the first day of school and picture day were the only days I did not wear the gym uniform of my school. Fashion was not my focus. Obviously. I remember watching my older sister go to class in her super hip black and white plaid pants, a white shirt, her black boots and her perm. She was way cooler than me. The most fashion-forward thing I did was share shoes with my best friend in elementary school. She had Jordan’s and I desperately wanted a pair. Of course, those were way out of the budget. So I did the next best thing: I wore one of her shoes and she wore one of mine. Talk about fashionable. But first days of school, they were done in a blink and so is summer. 

Back-to-school shopping, open houses, class schedules, fall sports schedules and allll the paperwork are here. Three kids in three different schools. And I am struggling to keep up. Sometimes I forget the harsh chemo that is still in my body and I think I should be back to “normal.” I look strong. But it isn’t long until my body will remind me I am still in the thick of treatment: my neuropathy in my fingers has gotten worse. Cutting up fresh fruits and vegetables will get my hands tingling and feeling numb. My throat and mouth are still very sensitive to cold. My hot flashes are pretty consistent. And quite frankly, I’m done having cancer. But we aren’t. So we keep on keeping on. I feel I say that a lot but sometimes I don’t know what else to say. Kids are starting a new school year and I just feel stuck in my treatment. The kids first day of school is Wednesday and on Thursday I will have treatment seven out of nine. Only 3 more! Still seems like a lot, but coming from where we started, I’m excited to keep pressing forward. 

My thanks cannot be stated enough to those still reading this blog, those still praying, those still bringing us meals. It is greatly appreciated. I am blessed by our village.

Liz