by Kelly Raso

Created on: June 27, 2008

She Only has 8 Months to Live
Sophie was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 11. She had chemotherapy treatments and went into remission. Sophie is now 14 and her doctor just found cancer again.
"I could sugar coat this and everything Soph but I'm going to tell you the truth," Sophie's mom began. "Sophie you only have 8 months to live."
Sophie could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Did her mom just say what she thought she did? "What," Sophie choked out.

"The doctor said you could stay home instead of being at the hospital, and I agreed with him," her mom continued.
Leave it to Sophie's mom to remain calm even when her daughter was dying.
"So basically my job is to make you comfortable. But you'll still go to school and live a normal life," Sophie's mom used her professor voice.
Sophie could feel the anger welling up in her. A normal life? How could she possibly go around acting like nothing was wrong? Acting like she wasn't battling a disease that had taken so many lives before her seemed like an impossible task.
But of course Sophie couldn't tell her mom all this so she settled for saying, "Okay mom."
"Are you sure you're okay sweetheart," her mom faked a sympathetic smile.
Oh yeah I'm super mom. I just found out I'm going to die and I feel just dandy about it, Sophie wanted to say.
"Yeah I'm fine mom," Sophie lied.
All that Sophie had to do now was to find out how she'd be spending the next 8 months. She had a feeling that it wouldn't be around her unfeeling mother.
Sophie went up to her room, and locked the door. She couldn't believe that this was happening to her. She thought that she was over fighting for her life three years ago. Apparently, she was wrong. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH," Sophie wished she could scream at the top of her lungs.
Then Sophie remembered a favorite quote of hers. "As we strive to fulfill our vision, we must make the most of every living moment," she whispered to herself. "You know who said that," Sophie asked her teddy bear.
When the bear didn't answer a voice from behind her did, "Jacqueline Onassis." Sophie looked up into her mom's red eyes, and realized that she had been crying.
"Oh mom," Sophie pulled her mother into a tight embrace.
"We can conquer this sweetie. I know we can," Sophie's mom said into her hair that would soon fall out.
For the next 8 months Sophie and her mother worked at every charity under the sun. They built houses for the homeless, clothed the cold, and feed the hungry. Even though Sophie was no Mother Theresa, she felt really good about what she was doing.
The months flew by, and once the 9th month ended Sophie and her mother let out a huge sigh of relief. Sophie and her mother continued to work on their various projects even when Sophie was fine.
Sophie and her mom certainly fulfilled their visions, but alas it seems all good things end; Sophie died the following year. At her funeral everyone she had ever helped showed up, and her mom swears she felt her daughter smiling down on her that day.
How will you make the most out of every living moment even if you're afraid it will be your last?

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