One of my kindred spirits

One of my very best friends is Christin. I think of her as a kindred spirit. We are born a few years apart but our birthdays are only a day apart. I feel like in so many ways she is truly one of the people I love most, maybe because I love me so much and she reminds me of me. I know, so self centric. But back to Christin, she is the mother of four beautiful children Patrick 14, Madi 11, Robbie 9 and Gracie 7. Being a mother for Christin brings so much joy. She is the most loving person I know. My kids wish they were hers, and Adelle has even asked once or twice if she could live with them. I love Christin so much that I think of this as a wonderful compliment to the amazing person she is. But now she has been going through a struggle that I can in no way relate to. It is hard when someone you love so much suffers and there isn't much to do but love them and pray.
Gracie, her baby angel was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on her spine in October of 2008. From the time she was diagnosed and received multiple surgeries and then sent to St. Jude's, Christin has been at her side giving all the love and compassion she possesses and then some. Gracie was sent home in July of 2009 after nine months of intensive chemo and then radiation therapy. They found no signs of cancer left in her body. At the routine check up in October, a year after she was first diagnosed with cancer, St. Jude's doctors found that the tumor was back and was now in her spine, hip and brain stem. They told Christin there was nothing left they could do for Gracie at this point except help make her comfortable.
How does anyone deal with this kind of information? Well, they decided to fight. And fight they have done. But the cancer is strong and Gracie continues to get more and more ill and is in a great deal of pain. She is unaware of her diagnosis. Gracie is such a beautiful little girl as are all children, but while her body fails you see that her spirit is strong. There is such an amazing girl being held in a body that can not tolerate the cancer.
At this point, now that the holidays are over and all the family on both sides of Christin's and her husbands family have come now they wait. Wait for what? Who is to say but I know I pray every day for peace in their lives. Peace for Gracie, that her body won't hurt anymore, and peace for Christin that her heart will be strong to deal with this most difficult trial.
One thing that has been hard in our home is our children having to face a terminal illness in one of their friends.
Adelle asks almost every day if Gracie is alive. She started to cry today when I started to talk about what we could do for their family, she was worried the news was bad. I have tried to offer comfort, in that Gracie will be an angel here and in heaven whenever that may be.
But to be honest my heart aches. I have been at Christin's side physically and in spirit as much as I can and I know there is nothing I can say or do that will help. I know there is prayer and positive thinking and just being there, but it hurts to watch those you love hurt. That is just the truth of it. Life is unfair and bad things happen. I guess I share this so that those of you out there that read this from time to time might keep their family in your prayers and thoughts. They are in mine always and I feel like in asking for you to help, maybe in some small way I am helping them.

Thank you.