To give everyone a break from the nonstop house-remodeling issues and and a much-needed perspective from someone who’s handling real problems with grace, style, and gratitude, here’s a post from my dear, dear friend Cecelia Weer who’s been battling cancer. Honestly, you have to read the article even if you’re not a big fan of illness stories, because she and her husband are so funny. I can just hear her voice, especially in the parts where she’s making up amusing names for various things.
Tom Weer was our pastor in Virginia for about seven years, and Cecelia was a true ornament to his ministry. Now they’re in New Jersey heading up a church there. Cecelia is the one who said that the question “Who’s the center of the issue?” is what you should ask in the midst of a crisis. I think I’ve told this story before, but it bears repeating: Many years ago, while she and her family were on vacation, Tom started having symptoms that seemed to match those of a heart attack. Cecelia was, of course, freaking out, as any wife would be. But then she calmed herself down by asking her question. Who was at the center? Tom was, not her. (Not she? Not sure.) She needed to focus on him, not on herself and how scared she was.
In this story, though, I think it’s fair to say that she’s at the center. Her family and friends are rallying around her, giving her back some of the selflessness and helpfulness she’s shown to them over many years. Good for them, and good for Cecelia for accepting what they’re doing. We will all hope and pray that she comes through this better than ever. I remember the day that our son Gideon shaved his head after he was about halfway through his chemo, so the scene where she gets her husband to do that for her rang especially true for me. Be sure to take the time to laugh at the wig on the newel post.
You go, Cecelia!