Walking on Water

Floating around with Karen in her pool in Punta Gorda, Fla., May 2006.


The first thing I remember about Karen is her voice. Her accent. We had a phone interview to see if I was qualified to come work for her craft magazines. It was the first time in my sheltered Midwestern life that I had heard someone speaking with one of those East Coast accents -- outside of movies and television, of course.

I liked her immediately.

I started working with Karen 5 years ago and continued to enjoy listening to her talk. But not just for her accent. (I barely heard that after awhile.) But for her knowledge, her wisdom. I learned so much from her about publishing, the business world and the craft industry.... about being a professional woman, a good wife and mother. She was so strong-willed and strong-spirited, a person couldn't help but admire her. Her big heart and sense of humor made that pretty easy, too. I was having so much fun "working" that I told my husband that even if we won the Powerball, I'd keep that job!

Then things changed. They moved the craft magazine division out of our Iola office and I wasn't moving with it. I was devastated. No more scrapbooking samples? No more Karen? Although Karen had worked off site in her Poconos and Florida offices, I would still miss her... Seeing her at shows and in our office a few times a year, plus our daily phone chats.

I didn't even let a year go by before hubby and I found a reason to take a "long weekend" in Florida, visiting Karen and her husband, Bill. It was so good to see her among the flowers and sunshine. She was in her glory.

This winter, Karen was diagnosed with cancer. It started out as some suspicious spots on her lungs and has since latched itself onto many of her organs, including her brain. She just finished radiation therapy and now is challenged by chemo. How can this happen to someone so full of life? Only God knows why, and I'm sure He has an inkling about Karen's spirit. Her faith. Her wealth of support. She has friends and family around the globe who are pulling for her, praying for her daily.

Tonight I participated in a Walk for Cancer in Wisconsin Rapids in Karen's honor. I raised $200 in pledges for the American Cancer Society to fund their research for a cure. There were hundreds of walkers and thousands of dollars were raised to stop the pain and devastation caused by this disease. Before the walk started, a group of about two dozen survivors took a lap while we all clapped. I couldn't help but get a lump in my throat watching them. How lucky they are! I pray every day Karen will one day wear that "Survivor" shirt, too.

Karen once told me if I wanted to get ahead in the world, sometimes I'd have to walk on water. She probably doesn't remember telling me that but since that day, I've kept a quote on my computer monitor, torn from my Small Miracles calendar. It gives a neat perspective on walking on water...

People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes. All is a miracle.

I'm praying for one more miracle for Karen and for everyone else who has joined that same fight. God be with you.