Lilac

Chap 9: Pick Up the Pieces

For the next year after her mother's diagnosis, Aila went thru a lot of phases.

First she was hurt, so so much hurt was in her heart. She was mad at life for making her mother go thru cancer. The chemos started to take her moms hair, nails, skin, taste and health.

The irony chemo kill the body made her laugh, but her mother was a strong women, and Aila, always tried her best to help her out. She helped her brother and sister with homework, cleaned the house and also kept up with her classes.

At school, the only one who knew about her mother's cancer was her friend Audrey. She became so sensitive about her mother's cancer she couldn't talk about it without tears falling down.

January 2012 her mother got surgery done which lined up with the end of 1st semester at Aila's school. She had a week break which she spent taking care of her mother.

Maria had not told the few family members that live in the USA about her condition. But with the surgery and Aila needing help to take care of her mother, word got out. Her cousins and friends came over. All of them with tears in theirs eyes at the revelation such a beautiful women was fighting cancer. Everyone was also hurt. They couldn't believe Maria had kept such big news to herself. They couldn't believe how strong Maria was, and how strong Aila was. She was so supportive of her mother.

With being hurt, Aila questioned if there was a God and why he would do this. But seeing how her mother always smiled, and even made jokes about her hair falling out, made something change in her. She volunteered at the hospital with cancer patients, she also did a program with Susan G Komen for free mammograms to women.

Little things like this helped her see the beauty of life again.

Her anger became love. She realized how beautiful pain is. Sometimes we, as humans, have to go thru things that will break us. It's not God's fault or your fault. This is just how life works. It's meant to teach us and makes us grow and develop. It's ok to cry or feel broken but what's not ok is to just sit and let the bad engulf your soul.

She fell in love with her mom's cancer, the treatment and the hospital. If the cancer hadn't been found, then her mother would be dead. And yes chemo sucks, but it gives hope. She learned every bad situation has light. Everything has hope, even if it's the slightest glint of light.

She fell in love with everyday she woke up. She thought the skies were beautiful, the trees were fresh, even when she couldn't see the world's true color. She fell in love with life and herself. She fell in love with her eyes. She knew her soulmates were bonding and developing something beautiful. Even if she never got to meet them, heart knew they were ok and that's all that matter.

Aila also asked God for forgiveness. She had to learn the true meaning of how to live life and when she did she had a long talk with God. She told him everything from how she felt at the beginning to how grateful she's now. And finally with that talk, her soul became one again, stronger than before.