Sending Love to the Kau Family

No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God... and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven. (Orson F. Whitney)

This post really hurts to write, because I wish it wasn't true. My heart aches today, matched with grieving tears. Life's so fragile. Some things are so painful and hard to understand, and the only real solace can be found in knowing that God is real, loves us, and families can be together forever. I have faith He knows what He's doing, and there's purpose in trials, but that doesn't take away the hurt. I'm so sad for my awesome cousins, their incredibly supportive father, and their beautiful mama, my personal hero, aunt Melanie.

She learned yesterday that the lung cancer she's been battling for 20 months (which entangled nasty spots in her brain) has spread again, this time to proportions beyond treatment.

I'm not exaggerating when I say she's faced this trial heroically - if it was up to faith, being positive and loving, and exerting sheer determination, Mel would have kicked this long ago. She's done all that's humanly possible in her situation - and I'd argue more than 99 percent of us are close to capable of. She's been gutsy and spunky, keeping her playful spirit as long as she could and making baldness beautiful. How blessed Ryan and I are to call her our aunt.

To Mel, Jon, Keala, Kalani, Kai and Kawena - Ryan and I love you all. We're so sorry this is happening. May God continue to give your family strength and help each of you in this painful time.

To anyone reading - Will you please say a prayer today for the Kau family?

Read Melanie’s remarkable story here.

Image courtesy of Kau family and photographer, uncle Tim Pannell.