4:20am...time for more blog therapy.
As painful as Palm Sunday was - Easter Sunday at St. John the Evangelist was wonderful. On Palm Sunday none of us could stop crying, but Easter was incredibly uplifting and the klenex stayed in-pocket. Fr. Mahon's homily was just what I needed to hear; people in pews everywhere have stuff but Easter is the story of hope right NOW. We were asked if we would want to present the gifts - Shannon said sure. I think we are pretty much committed at this point to publicly fighting this battle.
That is a source of tremendous conflict for me and Jen. Ten days into Shannon's devastating diagnosis we are still working through so many issues and emotions. How could we be parading these out in front of our world? I don't know. But I will tell you that so many of our friends - and especially family - are telling us to keep it up because it is working for them. And I know most of the time it is working for us too.
My Ipod mood this morning is old-school. The genius setting is finding classics; Carole King, Cat, James Taylor, Billy Joel, Tracy Chapman, old Elton John... Harmony and me - we're pretty good company...
Shannon's golf coach Mr. Myhro called to tell us the media is on Shannon's story. Someone called the KTTC tipline. Oh Jeez. Mr. Myhro seems to feel Shannon's Mayo teamates are good with this - I think he is being really nice. I am super sensitive about this. I called my old friend Chuck Sibley - the greatest photog in the history of TV news - and shared our concerns and discomfort. In my opinion, if Shannon's story making the air creates even a single resentment or distraction it's the wrong thing to do.
Shannon is in Mayo's JV line-up again for Tuesday's triangular with Lourdes and JM. KTTC wants video. Shannon just wants to play and experience the competition. KTTC has a morning show a 5,6, 9 and 10 and a web-site and an assignment editor (do they have one of those anymore?) facing tremendous pressure to get human interest stories on the air. Live, local...blah, blah, blah. I do get it.
Then we asked Shannon about it. She surprised me when she expressed a desire to share her story. We need to revisit this later today when she is in a different mood to be certain. Here is this confident, beautiful little person loaded with personality and she thinks she might want to tell her story. If her story lifts the spirit of one person - or one sick kid - it's the right thing to do. As a parent, I am really torn. As a sports fan, a viewer, an adult male 18-50, I would watch.
Van Morrison, Days Like This... (I swear these songs keep coming up exactly when I need to hear them).
Here's what I conclude now that I've blogged it out; while Shannon is healthy, strong and capable of expressing herself, why not? I want everyone to know her like we do. However, sounds like Mother Nature may take care of the issue for us - rain, heavy rain is predicted for Tuesday.
Brother Mike and Connie hosted O'Hara's and Harkins' for Easter. There were cousins and aunts and uncles everywhere. Ham, turkey, salads, potatoes, carrot cake and pastries from Daube's courtesy of brother Pat from AZ...a feast...a celebration! Erin had a great time. Shannon had a great time. Jen had a great time. I had a great time...then I got kinda sad. At home later we grilled and decorated our cooler for the meal-droppers and we laughed and I felt better. We went for a bike ride and - oh yeah baby! - we ate ice cream. Lent is over!
Being surrounded by family just feels so right at this time. But love hurts and that's when I get sad. Just for a minute though. Then I have to buck-up because Shannon ain't got time to bleed!
OK, I gotta do some work this week. I need to run to Indianapolis for some meetings, Jen has hours to cover at the RAC and for the first time chemo and radiation treatments will pound on Shannon for five days in a row. The Fireballs will need to have productive practices.
Life goes on. It has to. We're just getting started...
