Just a year ago…

I seem to want to write this blog as a chronology, but sometimes thoughts or people or the weather nags an entry into being. In this case, the trigger came with Holy Week.  It was last year during Holy Week (2010) that Melanie was scheduled for surgery to take out two tumors on the right side of her neck. It had been six years since her last surgery and this time it took place in New York City at Sloan Kettering Hospital. Living in Seattle, Melanie would fly back Wed. before surgery for pre-op work; it would be a ten-day trip. Fabulous boyfriend, Ben, would come for the surgery staying four days before returning to work. 

Chris and I would go for the whole time, meaning we would be away from the support of friends and the familiarity of home and church in a city that I find intimidating under ideal conditions. (Surgery for my twenty-nine year old daughter constituted less than ideal.) I was convinced it would be a lonely and difficult time—as lonely as the surgeries years before. That was not to be.

First off, it turned out that the daughter of some of our oldest friends was living only a couple of blocks from where we would be staying in NY.  She and her brother had grown up with Justin and Melanie—four tow heads playing together in a sandbox. Now she was an accomplished adult who had made NYC home for years. For two days of the pre-surgery week, Alicia, along with her boyfriend, Jeff, introduced us to all the neighborhood restaurants and breakfast places for the week ahead. Agreeing to serve as a general post office box for friends wanting to send cards or presents, they even recruited their doorman who turned out to serve as go-between while they were at work. We were not alone.

While the surgery would be early Saturday morning, my birthday was two days later. Since she would be recovering in the hospital that day, Melanie insisted that I have a birthday party on Friday evening, the night before her surgery. (While I LOVE my birthday, this was one year I would have skipped it entirely, but my daughter can be very persuasive—especially when she is facing surgery. I will agree to almost anything if it makes her happy.)  Given the task of pulling a small dinner together, Chris found a perfect small Italian restaurant for dinner;  soon what began as a small dinner with Alicia, Jeff and the four of us (Ben arrived Friday) gradually began to grow; dinner for six--perfect.

In the previous week, we learned that Ben’s parents wanted to come for Melanie’s surgery-- a lovely and generous gesture on their part. Don and Marfy were added to the list and we were thrilled. They would stay for three days, waiting with us during surgery. Don helped Chris move to a hotel when a water pipe broke into the rental apartment (don’t even ask about that escapade). Marfy kept me company while waiting for Melanie to get assigned a room after surgery. They added so many blessings they can never know.

(Eight for dinner)

Then it turned out that Justin had to be in Boston for a conference on Saturday, but wanting see her before surgery, he decided to surprise Melanie. He would fly from LA to NY, spend the day with her, have dinner, and then take a bus to Boston. We set ourselves to keeping the secret from Melanie until Friday morning. (Dinner now at nine.)

When close friends from Boston heard about the party, they decided to join in, celebrate with us, and support Melanie. Mark, Ellen and Jacki. (Uhh… let’s see that would be 12 for dinner.)

As Friday morning dawned, Justin crept into the apartment, waiting until seven o’clock before tumbling into Melanie and Ben’s room, jumping in their bed as he might have done when they were little.  On seeing him, Melanie’s first words giggle out, “Justin, I love you so much!” They were laughing too hard to notice my tears.

Friday night, as we assembled for dinner, we discovered that Ben’s brother, Roy, happened to be in NY.  A place setting was hastily and joyfully added to the table. (13)

It was the night before a five a.m. wake-up call for surgery for Melanie, and yet the evening was filled with laughter and tears as Ben presented Melanie and each one of us with Tee shirts that read, “I climbed the Tetons, the Whites, the Olympics, Cancer, and the Sawtooths and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.” On the back the vivid blue mountain range was topped by the words, We Love You Mel!!

As Justin was leaving to catch a bus to Boston, Alicia’s dad, Dave crashed the party—right in time for cake and coffee. Joy, surprise, laughter, love filled the room. As the party broke up, there was the creeping foreboding of the day to come, but this time would be different. As the sun rose we walked the eight blocks to the hospital—an army of brown and blue shirts. This time there would be no complications, Melanie would come through with flying colors and smiling face. Ben would be there to crawl in bed and love her into recovery. This time, more than anything, we knew we were not alone. Holy week, indeed.