"Lemondrops..sweet and sour stories of life, love and little ones"

So, an online friend of mine who I would chat with came upon devistating news. Like me, she has a toddler and a newborn baby and is in full swing with life as a mother. Nursing her baby, recovering from delivery, and recieving news that her dream of becoming a mother may not last as long as she thought.

Emilie is a friend who I met through my board I had on MSN, TTC6mos+. I created the board in 2004 at a time when getting pregnant with Madelyn wasn't coming easily to me. It was a group of women who shared their stories and struggles with infertility and supported each other through the dreams of becoming mothers. The board flourished for a few years and then tapered off. Some of us went our own ways, others stuck together on other boards continuing to keep up with the lives of each other. Every once in a while, we'd hear some tidbits on our friends from our past and remember the great bond we used to have on our original board.

On Wednesday, I got e-mailed the news that Emilie was not doing well. I went on her blog, looked at pictures of her two beautiful children and read a post on how she was told by her Doctor that she has "uncurable cancer". I read the most touching words I ever read

"And then we cocooned ourselves in our house for the rest of the day and night, not going out or answering the phone. What followed — the words shared, the brokenhearted tears shed, the gestures of love exchanged, the precious innocence of our beloved children — I will leave to your imaginations."

and

"If there is a bright side to any of this, it's that the unimportant, superficial things in our lives have suddenly fallen away, and we are intensely focused on what remains truly important, which is each other, our family, and making the most of the time we have together now. "It feels like we just met again," Steve said. Like we're falling in love all over again."

Those words have moved me more than anything. My heart pours for Emilie and her family. I will pray for a miracle, for her to prove her doctor wrong. I will pray that her boys will know who their mother is, not only for the strong and amazing woman she is, but because she will be there to watch them grow.

Most of all, it really shows me that yes, I do in fact take life and my family for granted. After hearing word of her, I will no longer do so.