the road not taken

A poem by Robert Frost (which I am writing a paper on tonight):

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for antoher day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I---
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

(From Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, by X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia)

beautiful woman

Beautiful woman,
your eyes watched over me,
mothering compassion
from when mine could first see.

Beautiful woman,
your arms were very first
to hold and embrace me
as at your breast I nursed.

Beautiful woman,
your eyes squint in deep pain.
Helpless, I hear from here
you calling Jesus’ name.

Beautiful woman,
your arms have grown so weak.
Weariness has drenched you
when the sun was at peak.

Beautiful woman,
you are my mother.
I see you suffer;
can’t we be together?

snow falls on streets

The snow fell late into the night and all through the next day, leaving the city of Edmonton wrapped in the cozy stillness called winter. Choir concert cancelled, yet a sigh escapes in thankfulness for an evening nestled at home, sipping green tea and selecting next year's courses. Driving through the streets piled with snow nearly a foot-high, I am reminded of living in Ontario's "snow belt", Huron County. Many times throughout my high school years I was storm-stayed in another town, the country air filled with flurries too thick and heavy to penetrate with the eyes. That was home...

I've been thinking about home a lot lately. I don't like to think that I'm home sick, because I've hardly ever been so. It's just that I don't think I'm able to go home until August, but with all that's going on there I want to be back in Blyth this week. I don't know what I could do to help matters at all, but I just feel helpless and, well, selfish, being here, living life as if everyone in my family is doing as well as I am. The Lord has been assuring me that His timing is perfect. He will also be working good out of situations, no matter how pointless they may seem to me.

seeking prayers

I'm writing to ask for all of you to pray for my family!

As many of you know, a few years ago a tumour was found on my mom, Yvonne's brain. Surgery was quickly done, and all seemed well.

Then we discovered that the portion of the skull which had been removed during the surgery to take out the tumour had grown infected. That resulted in another surgery to remove it, and, over half a year later, to put in a replacement piece. Once again, all seemed well, other than continued seizures and tiredness.

Just last month, however, when my mom went in for a routine MRI to check on the tumour's status, it was found to have grown again. It is still benign, meaning slow-growing, but it has been having harsh effects on my mom. According to my dad, Ernest, it has resulted in "limited movement of left side of mouth, limited strength and control of left hand (dropping things / difficulty typing), occasional weakness in left leg."

They were just told yesterday that the radiation will begin in London, Ontario (an hour from my parents' home) on Wednesday, March 22 at 1:30pm EST, and will continue for 30 more weekdays. A few of the side-effects will be loss of hair, nausea, and tiredness.
I'm really impressed by both my mom's and dad's perspectives on the whole thing. My mom declared in one of the first e-mails after receiving the news, "It's just a testing my faith and increasing my patience and joy (James 1)... please don't worry - the original surgery turned out fine, this will too." And her advice for us all in this time? "So the thing to do guys is to look for beauty and humour every day."

My dad's thoughts are similar: "Although we do not relish the upheaval and discomfort associated with treatment, we are thankful there is another weapon in the medical arsenal that may actually shrink the tumour. God IS in control... we are privileged to be living in southern Ontario... and each day is a gift!"

Most of the other times that my mom's had surgery I've been at home, but now us kids are spread out from Ottawa to Edmonton to Australia, with only my parents at home. Thankfully the church is very supportive, and are willing to drive my mom fairly often to her treatments.

Thank you for your prayers! I really treasure having close friends I can depend on at this time.

freelance

I am now a freelance writer, if you count writing three articles for papers in the last year! Here are links to two of my articles:

http://christianeducation.ca/stories/life101/spirits0305.htm
-written last year, about friends becoming family

http://www.christianeducation.ca/stories/life101/advent0306.htm
-hot off the press, on options after high school

Both were published in my sister, Emily's paper, Living Light News (http://livinglightnews.org/).

Enjoy!