Dear John,
I have recently read The Fault In Our Stars
and I would like to as many have before me, thank you for writing it.
Augustus and Hazel are truly a gift to everyone who reads about their
adventures. I will from now on always believe in something with a
capital ‘S’.
My mother passed away from a long battle with Lupus
14 years ago. Much like Hazel she concerned herself with living for her
family. She hung on and fought through the rough times so that my
father, my sister, and I could have semi-normal lives while she was ill.
Yes, we did have those long talks about what might happen after she
went but until she actually passed she worked hard to give my family
that feeling of normalcy.
Reading TFIOS helped me in a strange way to
see her side of the battle. Yes the diseases are different, but the
fight was similar. I realized how hard it must have been for her to make
it through an 18-hour day without taking a nap. Augustus’ belief system
was much like my mom’s—always pushing forward believing in something
even if she couldn’t always explain it to others. Despite dealing with a
disease that was slowly killing her for over 20 years, my mother
remained positive. My sister and I very rarely saw her get angry over
her diagnosis.
As I grew older and began to understand what was
happening to her, I, much like Hazel and Augustus’ parents began to
hover over my mother. I worried over whether “today would be the day,”
and made sure that I said everything I wanted to say to her while I still
could. I was lucky because I tuned in early enough to be able to take
care of my mother a little bit. Although I was 13 when she passed, I
didn’t miss out on those important talks girls are supposed to have with
their mothers. In a way her illness broke down those walls we build up
around our parents and allowed me to get to know her on a more intimate
level.
I am beyond grateful that you have written this
book. It speaks to so many people in this situation—the patients, their
families, and the people left in the aftermath. It has given a voice to
the living and to the dying. It has made me feel closer to my mother
than I have in several years, and for that I cannot truly express how I
feel. All I can do is thank you, thank you for opening my mind and my
heart to a battle that I’ve tried to shove to the back of my mind for a
long time. Yes battles with Cancer and other terminal diseases are sad
and hard to deal with and they cause a lot of pain to all of those
involved. But sometimes pain deserves to be felt.
Sincerely,
Amy
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