I woke up with somebody on my mind.....a woman that most definitely deserves a blog devoted solely to her, and her memory......Dottie had come to be a teacher at Bushkill from the middle school....and when I met her I knew we would be friends.....the instant kind....I was drawn to her energy immediately....and I am guessing now that not only was that due to her amazing personality, and her smile that lit the entire room, and the light that shone out of her and into the world.....but it also may have had to do with my feeling her journey, and how much she had gone through up until then.....feeling a kindred spirit feeling between us......and at the time I had just found out that I was pregnant with Gabe, and she gave me her maternity clothes.....they were such nice ones too....I was so grateful for them:) And despite us just meeting she was so excited for me and supportive....But she only stayed 10 days at our school....she had to leave to fight her cancer that had returned ......again.....she ended up living 10 years with stage 4 ovarian cancer.....but she was a fighter, no question.....a warrior in every way......and she focused on the positive, and all of the beauty in her life.....she was a person that made everybody feel like a somebody...and after she left, we stayed in touch.....she hosted an At Home America party at her house for me.....a side hustle I had, to make money when my ex had cancer too....it was one of my most successful parties ever......and I was so grateful to her for doing it for me......and she was so supportive of me through all of my struggles alongside her own in such powerful ways.......and when I had Gabe and stayed at Moses Taylor Hospital, she would stop in and find me and visit....and she came to the NICU with me, and oohed and ahhhed over my tiny boy on all of his wires and in his incubator....while she was pushing her own son in a stroller, with a scarf around her head, coming for her tests and treatments......and we just shared a deep affinity and regard for each other.....Her son being the absolute light of her life......a miracle.....coming into the world against all odds, because she had already fought ovarian cancer.....and the surgery she had to have early on making it highly unlikely that Nathan would arrive into the world, and wildly unlikely that she would ever be a mother, but against all odds both miraculous things happened....and he was the absolute light of her life.....and her fight was fierce to remain in the world to see him grow....every minute........and unfortunately cancer had a different plan......I watched her begin to decline....and we were lucky enough to meet for dinner a final time....and I saw and heard the resignation in her....making plans for her sweet son....she knew that she was losing the battle....and she was full of beauty and grace that night.....I will never forget it as long as I live......hugging her goodbye, knowing it would be the last time.....and I am so grateful we got to share that time together, but it broke every bit of my heart.....and then I got the call that she was in hospice....and I summoned my brave to go and see her....knowing it would be so difficult.....and it was.....I think it was Mother's Day weekend actually.....and I went and watched her 5 year old son playing in this beautiful hospice, watching his mother begin to leave this world.....and to date it was one of the hardest things I have ever done....I sobbed for all of them.....her beautiful family.....that had to say goodbye to their beautiful girl.....and I mourned for Dottie....losing her fight and watching her light begin to go out......and all these years later, as I type this my eyes still fill with tears for such a special woman and her special family.....she fought so hard to be here.....to live.....to spread light and love....and her life mattered so deeply....even though it was cut so short.....and even though she has been gone for all these years.....she was the epitome of a life well lived.....one that mattered so deeply.....the impact she made felt forever......I will never ever forget you Dottie, never.....and I know our paths were meant to cross, even though you could not stay, and I will forever remain grateful for your friendship, and the impact your life made in mine.....forever.....till we meet again my sweet friend xoxox0
jperuso
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