The Question

As a parent you have those moments, when one of your kids asks a tough question and you have to take a deep breath and decide how to answer. It is usually something like, "Where do babies come from?" or "What does God look like?"

Tonight was one of those times for me. Emily had just gotten out of the shower and yelled down, asking me to come up stairs.
I was feeling lazy so I yelled back up asking her what she needed? She yelled the question down the stairs and I just stopped. Then I heard Todd say, "You better get up there." And I ran upstairs.

"Mommy, if you and I have the same genes, will I get cancer?"
There she was, sitting in a towel, dripping wet.

I told her that I was 2 when I had Wilms Tumor (cancer in the kidney) and that it was not in my genes.
Then I told her I didn't know if she would get breast cancer. She said, "I thought you were going to say that."

My mom and both my grandmothers had breast cancer. It probably is in my genes. I told her I was sorry. I also said that it most likely wouldn't happen before she was 37 years old and that was 30 years away. I said I thought in 30 years doctors would be able to keep her from ever getting it, even if it is in her genes. I also explained that God was in charge and if she got cancer she needed to use it as an opportunity to share with people about Jesus. I said please don't worry about it now. Then she said, "After i get my PJ's on, can I give you a big hug?"
Wow!! That hug was a tight one.