Sarah came into my life quietly and ‘from a distance’. She and her husband were living and working in Dubai at the time and used to visit their son living here in Brisbane.
After many years, and some weddings, births of children and grandchildren between us, Sarah’s son invited her and her husband to come and live with them. Sarah’s husband by then was showing the onset of a degenerative condition – Progressive supranuclear palsy.
Sarah was fully involved, with the help of her son, in caring for her husband and I saw her from time to time. After her husband passed away, it took her a while to ‘regroup’ and find her feet for her own personal life and we went out for a quiet coffee or lunch whenever we could between our travels. Both of us have children overseas.
But a day came when Sarah, too, found herself in a medical condition needing life-time care – cancer. Chemo has now become a regular part of her life which she tackles with as much faith, courage and vitality as she did for her ailing husband.
In between her chemo sessions, Sarah looks forward to catching up with her regular friends and family and never fails to pray for them and their children. She’s often busily chatting to loved ones over the phone but other times resting her weary body after treatment.
Sarah is like the water lilies growing quietly and peacefully in the lake near our home – in spite of challenges. The rigours of the water do not phase the lilies in the lake, as they emerge with pretty colours from a carpet of beautiful leaves.
And neither have the rigours of Sarah’s life challenges phased her from ’emerging with pretty colours, from the beautiful tapestry of her life.’
My friend, Sarah.
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