Jaron

Well, it has been a while since I have checked in.  Life has moved forward in a pretty steady way. There hasn’t been any medical emergencies, which we are grateful for.  But life has been kind of hard lately. Jaron has now endured two rounds of chemo, and they were rough on him. The schedule right now is that he takes chemo for 5 days out of every 28 days.  This wouldn’t be too bad except that it makes him quite sick. He feels very nauseous and tired. His brain feels fuzzy. Words are harder to say. And it lingers even after he is done with the medicine.  So he has stayed in bed for about a week each time. Then he slowly gets back to life. The nausea goes away but the exhaustion stays for at least another week. It is hard to watch him be so sick and tired.  The only good thing is the first round of chemo happened during the Olympics. The second round was during the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament. So he has had something good to watch. Before he starts chemo, I try to stock up on good foods that help him get through.  Here is an example of a breakfast and lunch that I made him. Looks yummy right? He didn’t think so. I usually have to force him to eat. It’s hard to be nauseous.

 Next week Jaron goes in for an MRI and another check up.  If all goes well, we will continue on with four more chemo treatments.  Jaron will be doing treatment until at least the middle of July. We have planned a few family camping trips in August that we are looking forward to.  Also, Vienna and Clark have been accepted to go to camp at Camp Kesem. This camp is for children who have parents with cancer. They get to go for a whole week and stay in cabins.  I have heard great things about this. I think it should be a really positive experience for them. So we have some things to look forward to but still some hard things to get through.  One day at a time.

I have been thinking about something lately.  Being married to a person, you see all sides of the person.  You see them when they are tired or stressed. You see them when they are frustrated or sick.  You see a side that most people don’t see. Being married to Jaron has given me a front row seat in his life.  I have now watched him be diagnosed with a brain tumor, have brain surgery, have blood clots, go through radiation, and have to suffer through chemo treatments.  I have seen him go through some really horrible things. And after watching all of that, I have to say, Jaron is MY HERO! He is amazing. He rarely complains. He endures hard things with strength and patience.  He almost always speaks with a kind word. He is grateful for the good things in his life. He has stayed close to God and has not been angry with Him. He has humbly accepted the trials that have come into his life.  He also finds ways to be a good dad. Even on the days he is really sick, he helps out by having Bethany do her daily reading with him. She cuddles up on his lap and they read together. It is a sweet time for them to be together and it takes one thing off of my plate.  I appreciate it. Another thing he has done during his sick days is play Uno with Bethany. She loves this and they have probably played 100 games. I often have to remind him she is only 6 and he should let her win sometimes. But boy, Bethany loves sitting with Jaron and playing cards.  It amazes me that when he isn’t feeling good, he still finds ways to be a good dad.

About 3 months ago Jaron realized that Clark wouldn’t get his Webelos and Arrow of Light awards with scouts if they didn’t work hard.  We have great scout leaders but a lot of it needs to be done at home. It wouldn’t have been the end of the world if Clark hadn’t gotten these awards, but scouts are very important to Jaron.  He spent many summers growing up working at scout camp. He really wanted Clark to get these awards. So every Sunday Jaron would spend an hour with Clark working on scouts. As I watched them sitting together each week, I was touched by the service Jaron was giving Clark. He was giving his son quality time.  He was also sharing with Clark knowledge he had acquired during his many years as a boy scout. I know this was precious time well spent. Last week when Clark received his Webelos and Arrow of Light awards, I was proud of him. But, I was more proud of the father who, while going through cancer treatment, made the time to help his son.  What a good dad!

This last week, Jaron wanted to take Vienna to the temple again.  So we made an appointment and showed up on Friday night. I was only going to watch, so I sat on a bench behind them.  I watched as they sat down together. Jaron put his arm around Vienna and she leaned into him. They whispered something to each other and then sat there close together for a while.  My heart was so touched watching them together. I wanted to freeze time so Vienna could always remember what it feels like to have her dad’s arm loving wrapped around her shoulders. Vienna is turning into a young woman and has shown signs of pushing us away.  But Jaron won’t allow this. He hugs her and tells her he loves her. He has talks with her. He knows their relationship is so important as she tries to survive teenage years. Vienna is a lucky girl to have Jaron for a dad.

I have always known that Jaron was a good and kind man.  That’s why I married him. And he did not disappoint. But these last few months have shown me what an amazing man he is.  I am so grateful that I get to go along for the ride with him. I am often in awe of what he does. He is an inspiration to me and I am sure to those around him.  I am just the lucky one who gets to call him Honey.