I recently had the blessed opportunity to be a pre-reader for Elaine Cooper’s new book, BETHANY’S CALENDAR. The book is a timeline of events no parent ever wants to face–the journey she traveled with her daughter who was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Since I, too, have traveled through that valley called Cancer with my own child, I could relate to so many of the events Elaine vividly depicted in this book, especially the way God carried her and comforted her during those heart-wrenching days.
In the world’s eyes, Elaine and I have both “lost our children to cancer.” But in God’s eyes, He had a very special plan for their lives, and their testimonies reflect His grace and faithfulness.
Here is a peek into the depths of emotion Elaine shares in BETHANY’S CALENDAR:
In January of 2002, Elaine’s world flipped upside down. What started out as a beautiful New Year for the mom of three, turned into a living nightmare when her 23-year-old daughter, Bethany was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor.
In the months to come, Elaine not only used her nurse’s training, she learned to recognize the hand of God on her daughter’s life. Bethany’s Calendar tells the story of Elaine and Bethany’s journey and the many ways God helped their family to survive. It is a story of fear and faith, commitment and compassion, told with gut-wrenching honesty while sharing unwavering faith in God.
Elaine graciously agreed to appear on my blog and answer a few questions for me:
CONNIE: One of the things I like to say to a parent who has lost a child is, “Tell me about him/her.” I never had the opportunity to know Bethany, so I don’t know what made her smile or where her passions directed her or what her favorite snack was. Can you share a little bit about her?
♥ELAINE: When Bethany was little, she would get ice cream ALL OVER HER FACE! We thought she was just messy and would help her get cleaned up. Only when she grew up did she confess that she purposely smeared the ice cream all around her lips, like lipstick! The joke was on us!
Bethany was always looking for a good movie to make her laugh. She LOVED Doris Day comedies (“Pillow Talk” was a favorite). She also liked being alone to write in her diary—a fact that we so appreciate today with her written reflections left behind.
She enjoyed books immensely from the time she was little. And she hoped that one day she would write a book of her own.
CONNIE: What a picture!! I can see her with the ice cream all over her face—a happy kid. She sounds like a young lady who looked for things to smile about. I’ll bet she enjoyed making others happy as well. It’s interesting that she liked writing her private thoughts in her diaries, especially since her mother is an author. Bethany must have caught that writing gene from you.
CONNIE: I love the excerpts of Bethany’s journals you included at the beginning of each chapter. They not only give the reader insight into Bethany’s heart but also the way she was raised. How did reading her journals affect you?
♥ELAINE: Reading through her numerous diaries was such a comfort and I discovered so much about her that I had not known previously. I spent all of New Year’s Day, 2014, reading her diaries in chronological order. It was amazing! I never knew how excited she was when her brother got saved, or just how close her heart was to God. It was a gift from her to all of us.
CONNIE: She gave you such a treasure. Without knowing it, she left her legacy, her testimony, as an example to others. I’m reminded of
the song, Find Us Faithful:
May all who come behind us find us faithful.
May the fire of our devotion light their way.
May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe,
and the life we live inspire them to obey.
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful.
I never knew Bethany, but judging by her
journal excerpts, I think this song is talking about her.
CONNIE: Cancer is never something we want to happen, and a diagnosis blindsides not only the patient but also the family members.
I remember one time my son said, “I thank God for the cancer, because without it, I never would have realized the extent of His power and mercy. The cancer opened my eyes to God’s hand in my life.” How did Bethany (and you) regard your cancer journey?
♥ELAINE: I can’t really speak for Bethany, but for myself, the journey was a time of discovering who my greatest friends were and are. I also discovered God’s incredible grace in so many situations. Mostly it was so emotionally painful—but I can see God’s hand in the many lives Bethany touched in inspiring ways, despite her illness. And her faith remained so strong, despite the unexpected journey.
CONNIE: I know what you mean about discovering God’s incredible grace. If you are like me, you probably have many more stories of the way He carried you through times when you couldn’t remember how to put one foot in front of the other. But He was faithful, and through His faithfulness, you were faithful. Bethany grew up seeing God’s faithfulness in her mother, and learned how to be a faithful child of God by your example. Watching our children demonstrate their faith is an awe-inspiring thing. I’m grateful you have those memories.
CONNIE: If Bethany could tell people one thing today, what would it be? How will your book, Bethany’s Calendar, share with people what Bethany would want to communicate?
♥ELAINE: I think Bethany would tell people that our lives are short and eternity is forever. She would probably want others to know that each birthday is a gift—but our greatest gift is eternal life. No cancer cell can destroy that.
CONNIE: I like that—no cancer cell can destroy God’s greatest gift. I think your Bethany and my Jonathan had the same message to tell: life is short, no matter how young you are. Don’t waste a single day, and serve God now while you have the opportunity.
If you would like to win a copy of BETHANY’S CALENDAR, leave a comment below.
Thank you, Elaine, for sharing your heart and your book, BETHANY’S CALENDAR, with us.
If you would like to know more about Elaine’s incredible cancer journey with her daughter, visit her website at: http://www.elainemariecooper.com
Look for her on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/ElaineMarieCooperAuthor
Follow her on Twitter: @elainemcooper
And check out BETHANY’S CALENDAR on Goodreads: Bethany’s Calendar
MORE ABOUT ELAINE: Elaine Marie Cooper has released her first non-fiction book, Bethany’s Calendar. It is a personal memoir of her daughter who died of a brain tumor and how the Lord was their strength during the darkest journey of their lives.
As a novelist, Elaine Marie Cooper has written Fields of the Fatherless and the Deer Run Saga. Her passions are her family, her faith in Christ and the history of the American Revolution, a frequent subject of her historical fiction. She grew up in Massachusetts, the setting for many of her novels.
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