Can I Get a Hallelujah?

My youngest angel came home from school today and told me the story of a young girl whose father taught her to "never quit" in the face of adversity.  He was crippled by an illness, but even through his pain and his ravaged body, he was still able to instill a very strong message of hope into the hearts of those he loved.  His daughter later went on to become an Olympic athlete.  I have to wonder whether she would have become the person that she was if her father had viewed things differently.  What if he decided to quit when he became ill?  What if he allowed the negativity of his illness to leak over into other aspects of his life?  What if he espoused constant despair instead of hope?  Where would that have left the people around him?

Yesterday, I received two phone messages from my brother's wife.  In the first one, she said that she wanted to make amends and move forward so that we could start supporting each other.  In the second one, she put my angel niece on the phone.  My fifth angel.  My little, nine year old girl.  Angel Niece said that she wanted to talk to me and that she wanted to see if we could get together soon.  And the breath that I have been holding for over six months finally released into a flood of happy tears.  

Do I fully trust that this is the end of the road for this battle that should never have begun to begin with?  I don't know, but it is all that I have wanted and all that I have fought for since the day that my brother died.  I made a promise to my brother after his death.  I stood there and I whispered into his ear that I would always be there for his girls.  I vowed that I would help to raise his children in whatever ways that I could.  I promised, never even considering the attack which would ensue in the days following his passing.  I promised, never even realizing that my promise would be tested immediately.  I promised...

And I never gave up.  I never quit.  I did this not only for the promise I made to my brother, but also because of the effect that it would have had on my own angel daughters if I had given up.  To teach loyalty, one must be loyal.  To teach tenacity, one must also be tenacious.  To teach hope, one must never quit.

Thank you so much for your constant support, compassion, and understanding.  My blogging friends have been such an incredible source of comfort and wisdom during a time that was such a difficult test to my spirit.  You have lifted my wings up off of the ground at times when I did not think they could even begin to flutter.  I am grateful beyond words.  So now I am asking you for one more thing as I pray that everything will turn out well.  Can I get a Hallelujah?