A dog is a girl's best friend. At least, Chevy was Katie's best friend for a season. Someone who showed up when life was at its worst. When I had not seen her smile in weeks, Chevy brought her smile back. At their first meeting, he peed in the hallway. She walked out of her hospital room on weak and unsteady legs to sit in a chair and throw a ball to him. Katie's eyes got as big as her smile and we all just laughed when he hiked that leg up! (Please note - he doesn't normally do that, but Chevy works 40 hours each week and it had been a long day for the pup!) He introduced her to the outdoor playground on the 5th floor because best friends share secrets. She taught him tricks and gave him treats because, well, friends do that, too. He visited the ICU when he wasn't supposed to. On hard days when there really were no words to share, Chevy just laid there, because sometimes friends don't have to talk. He also showed up on days when life was good - like the day she was discharged from the hospital. With his naturally crimped ears and snazzy bowtie, he is quite the charmer. I swear that dog can even smile! He sent encouraging notes when she was going through outpatient radiation. What Chevy was not able to do with his own two paws, his handler managed for him. His handler is a child life therapist at Cincinnati, also named Katie, who loved on our family in ways that went well beyond whatever paycheck she receives. She knew our Katie's personality, what she liked, what would upset her, how to help her through procedures, her favorite foods, what staff she related to best and who she enjoyed the least. You may hear me occasionally refer to graces so quiet that very few people even notice them. I have learned to look for these. To listen for them. To find them hidden in really ugly places. Chevy spent time with Katie on her last day. He was sitting beside my kids in the little conference room when Chad and I told them their sister was going to die. Having him there was nothing less than God's quiet, beautiful grace. So last Friday, Chad and I went to Cincinnati to hand deliver a donation to Chevy and to give him a really good belly rub. Our local little league in Winfield, through a baseball/softball tournament in Katie's memory, raised a significant amount of money which they wanted to give toward something Katie believed in. Some of the money went to the WV Kids Cancer Crusaders.
Some of the money went to build a picnic shelter at the fields where Katie would have sat and drank a LOT of slushees. And some of the money went to the Animal Assisted Therapy with the Department of Child Life at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. I knew pet therapy existed before we went there, but I honestly had no idea how valuable it could be in a child's healing. It was wonderful to see all of Katie's team on Friday. Dr. Norris, Dr. Ben, Molly (our social worker), and Meg (one of our favorite nurses). They all hugged us as family. But Chevy and Katie were the reason we went. Because when no doctor, no nurse, no radiation, no modern medicine could heal her, Chevy could do what no one else could. He could just be with her.
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I have decided to write something to make you smile today. I started to write another post on Tuesday. All about how nine months of pregnancy, waiting for a child, can feel like such a long time, but it doesn't even compare to nine months without a child. How sending your kid to camp pulls at your heart because you want them to have a fabulous time, yet you miss waking them up each morning. And how sending your kid to heaven is similar to sending them away to camp but, when Saturday arrives, they don't come home. And they don't come home. And they don't come home. That is what I was wrestling with a couple days ago as I reflected on Katie's absence for the past 9 months. But sometimes I tire of writing hard things. Many times the processing is just difficult and painful, and, since I desire to be honest and raw, my writing reflects that. I want you to know, however, that even though every day may be difficult, every minute is not. We can still laugh. And we have really good memories. And we often think of Katie with big smiles. We still enjoy her - even though she is not physically present with us. So can I share a few things that make us smile in hopes that you will, too? Daniel recently had a birthday. He is at a great age to really enjoy cards with music so it is actually worth the overpriced cost just to see him open them. Annie bought him a card with singing Minions this year, but it reminded me of last year. For Katie's birthday, I took Daniel to find a special card from him. Of course, he kept picking cards that were not really appropriate for a 14 year old girl from her (then) 4 year old brother. Of course. But I finally gave him a few choices and he decided on one that played The Chicken Dance. Katie and Daniel had a special relationship and loved each other immensely. Here are some pictures of him giving her that birthday card last August. Chad and Katie had the same sense of humor. They laughed at the same corny jokes and puns and would often start into a belly laugh that was unrelenting. As the rest of us stood around with puzzled looks about what was so funny, the two of them would sit on the couch, barely able to catch their breath, as they threw their heads back in hilarity. Their giggles would begin to calm until one looked at the other, sending them into fits all over again. When Katie was first in the hospital, awaiting her initial diagnosis, I was preparing to go home for a bit with the other kids while Chad stayed there with her. As I was leaving the room, something got them started, and I smiled as I quipped to Chad, "Don't make her laugh too hard! She needs to breathe!" Katie began to cackle as she said, "Oh Daddy, not too much, my chest tube hurts!" Recently, for Father's Day, some of the staff at River Ridge made a video of corny Dad jokes. It is hilarious to watch! As I hear Chad laugh, it makes me smile, both as I enjoy him and as I remember how Katie enjoyed him. Do yourself a favor and check this out. Enjoy your kids. Enjoy your husband. Enjoy your friends. Enjoy your life. Enjoy your day today. Blessings, Sarah and Forever Cobb 7 |
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