Last Saturday was a very special day. It was Colleens Birthday. I will not mention the numerics because I understand the rules about revealing a woman’s age. Let’s just say she is old enough to legally drink alcohol, but not old enough to eat dinner at 4:30pm. In years past there was a lot of pomp and circumstance that surrounded the day with elaborate gifts and expensive restaurants. Today things are much lower key.
About a week before her day she sent me a message asking for new leggings. She started wearing them around the time we began running races together. She really digs designs with wild colors. The wilder the better! When I presented her gifts, I took notice of her beaming smile. I started reflecting on the significance of the that smile.
Colleen has always been the kind of person that just seemed to do life right. She was a good child and student. She grew up to be a remarkable woman and exceptional wife. She has always been kind and willing to help loved ones or a cause. She often put others needs in front of her own. She had a work ethic like no one I’ve ever known before or since. During her last semester in college she worked full time, took a full class load AND planned our wedding (This still amazes me). It is no surprise the person she has become since being diagnosed with SCA. She has always worked on developing her unshakable character. Despite all she has had to accept and endure over the last 14 years, her inner light shines through her smile. This smile has an incredible effect on the people around her.
We often engage people in conversation when we are in public. Sometimes it is simply surface chat, but sometimes it leads to us sharing our story and a deeper dialogue emerges. They share their challenges and life difficulties. As they learn of Colleens journey, you can see a sense of mystique appear on their face as if to say “How can this woman continue to smile after what she is going through”?
To those struggling, I believe Colleens smile offers something very powerful – HOPE. This simple gift she blesses people with everyday offers the hope that they too can smile through the storms in their life. Today Colleen may not be able to work like she used to or help loved ones like she once did. Today she has a higher calling. She has been asked to offer this world hope in a time when it desperately needs it. She offers the hope that everything is going be ok despite feeling like we are falling apart. Christine Caine said “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried but you’ve actually been planted”.
