Listening: Provehito in Altum, 30 Seconds from Mars

Mom called a little bit ago. She had the quiet waver in her voice that always makes my heart skip. At least she didn't start crying this time.

Sister Irene still wants the family to pretend she's perfectly ok. But she'll be in the hospital for a few more days.

It's definately leukemia. Sister Virginia has reported that there definately was and is a lot of pain. Sister Virgina took Sister Irene to the hospital against her wishes. Water was revealed to be in her lungs.

She needed blood transfusions. Likely she needs a bone marrow transfusion. The reports are that she is refusing all treatment.

Maybe she wishes to put all of herself in God's hands. Maybe she doesn't want the Church to spend that much on her.

Maybe it's both, or it's something else altogether. But she doesn't even want her family to know. She's been suffering for months.

She won't allow her sister to tell anyone where she is and won't accept visitors.

Did I tell you she used to read Aesop's fables to me? that she gave me my first set of watercolors paints and brushes? She took my grandmother's dog Pepper with her to the convent after Grandma died. When people did things that I didn't understand I could ask her and she would patiently explain it all for me. And it would make sense.

Sister Irene is the kind of sweet human soul that this world sorely needs more of.

Fuck I hate crying at work.