“God’s Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control." ~ 2
Timothy 1:7
“Whatchadoin’ Zac?”
The two first graders have been almost inseparable since
birth. So it was no surprise that Benjamin
showed up at Zac’s house the next day with a shaved head. Well, not totally shaved. The child barber-to-be had tried his
scissor-best, but left small tufts of unreachable hair. Still, his effort made Zac giggle, and feel
less alone.
“Writin’ love notes to my parents.” the young boy answered
back, “For when I’m gone.”
“Where ya goin’ buddy?” his best friend Benjamin asked.
“To heaven,” Zac answered matter-of-factly. “I got cancer. The angels will take me there when I get too
sick. So I’m hiding notes around the
house, in books, in books, in Mommy’s dresser, in Daddy’s toolbox . . . so they’ll
know that I still love them when I’m gone.”
After feeling ill and tired for weeks, Zac Eisenberg was
diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). ALL, a fast-growing disease of the white
blood cells, is the most common childhood cancer. Most are cured with standard chemotherapy;
Zac’s form was resistant to even the most intense therapy regimens.
Benjamin started asking questions and learning about
cancer. He taught his fellow classmates
that ALL is “when your white and red blood cells fight each other.”
When he learned that Zac's treatments were expensive, Benjamin
raised a couple hundred dollars by selling stocking caps on Facebook that he
made with his Mom. “I sold them so the
doctors can fix you,” he told a grateful Zac.
There’s pure joy in their laughter. “Why did the chicken cross the playground?”
Zac asked with a boyish grin. “To get to
the other slide!” finished Benjamin.
Until recently though, there hadn’t been much to laugh
about. Then the news came that Zac’s
cancer had gone into remission. His
friend’s encouragement seemed to be working.
As a precaution, he’ll continue to get treatments for two more years.
The two best friends have a lot to teach the adults in their
lives.
When a news reporter recently asked, “What is friendship?”
Zac replied simply - ”A beautiful thing.” Clearly, wisdom doesn't always come with age.
Kids with cancer often feel isolated and alone, especially
if they're in the hospital or away from school for long stretches of time. Visit as often as you can. Fight the urge to stay away because you feel
awkward or wish this weren't happening. Even
if you aren't sure what to say to your friend, just being there to show your
support will mean so much. If distance
or your schedule makes it hard to be there in person, stay in touch by sending
notes and cards and by emailing, IM’ing, phoning, or texting.
“For the children and the flowers are my sisters
and my brothers, their laughter and their loveliness will clear a cloudy day. Like the music of the mountains and
the colors of the rainbow, they're a promise of the future and a blessing for
today.” ~ John Denver
