Nancy Emerson, an inspiration to all who knew her…

By Ken Weblorn

Record Publisher

I learned of Nancy Emerson from Graham, North Carolina only after her death at age 62 in September of this year. I received a phone call from Eva Porter of North Wilkesboro, who told me about Mrs. Emerson and her remarkable twenty-year plus battle against cancer. For practically the entire time Mrs. Porter knew Nancy Emerson, she was fighting that illness.

And a remarkable fight it was.

Born in Watauga County, Nancy led a good life, which for the first forty years or so, was not particularly extraordinary. She married John Emerson and had a successful career in real estate and banking, including a job as a bank senior vice president. Then, in 1982, Nancy’s life, and the lives of those around her, would change forever when she found that she had breast cancer and it had already spread to six lymph nodes.

She and her husband were devastated, but instead of giving up, they reacted with determination and a powerful faith that took them through over twenty years of survival. In the process, Nancy Emerson became an inspiration to countless other cancer victims and their families, and raised untold thousands of dollars for cancer treatment and research.

What Nancy went through in those twenty years is staggering. Over those years, she had several different bouts with the cancer, including cancer in her spine and her liver. She endured twelve weeks of radiation treatment, chemotherapy, hormone treatments and experimental treatments with cancer vaccines at the Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

In fact, after several years of volunteering in the fight against cancer, she left her banking job and took a position with the Duke center to raise funds for cancer research. Nancy was honored over and over for her work in raising this money and for her unfailing willingness to help others in similar situations. The culmination of this was Nancy being named Cancer Survivor of the year in 2002 by the magazine Coping With Cancer. Soon after, she was a guest of Rev. Robert Schuller on his worldwide Hour of Power television program. When she appeared on that show, she smiled as she thanked Dr. Schuller for his famous one-liners. Her favorite was “Tough times never endure, tough people do.” She also shared her experience in 1985 when she was again told her cancer had spread. Feeling discouraged and as though things were completely out of control, she was at home, praying. As she sat with her eyes closed and her Bible in her lap, she said she saw something that looked like a billboard with the word “cancer” in huge, black letters. She said her eyes began to focus on the first three letters, CAN, and she has concentrated ever since on that word, the “CAN” in cancer, finding a positive message for all time in that dreaded word.

Over the years, Nancy developed a network of friends and fellow cancer victims she referred to as her “Team of Heroes.” Through a series of powerfully written and inspirational newsletters, she stayed in regular contact with her “heroes.” In 2002, Nancy shared with her friends the occasion of her twentieth anniversary of cancer survivorship, along with news that the cancer again had spread and chemotherapy was again scheduled. With the attitude of a true fighter, she joked about losing her hair and having the choice of being a blonde, brunette, or redhead. She talked about her new personal care products, colognes named Amazing Grace and Miracle, and a new moisturizer, Hope in a Jar.

Sadly, on September 17 of this year, Nancy Emerson succumbed to the ravages of a twenty-year battle with cancer. In reading about Nancy and talking with Eva Porter, I got a picture of Nancy as a woman who was always thankful, who would find the good in any situation and whose faith in God was unflinching. Her husband, John Emerson, wrote a wonderful piece for the issue of Coping, which announced Nancy’s receiving the Cancer Survivor of the Year award. The article was entitled “Cancer Starts With ‘Can,’ ” and he beautifully summed up her ability to live with the adversity of cancer in the final sentence. “Her message of hope, her faith, and her never-give-up optimism represent the very essence of cancer survivorship.”

Nancy Emerson said in one of her newsletters that we have two choices when faced with difficulties — to become better or to become bitter.

Clearly, she became better — as did all who were fortunate enough to know her.

 

 

Happy Halloween

By Caseyannie

Meet my really quirky friend, Molly, who I met playing cards on the Internet. She is basically a lovely lady but she has some problems. For instance, her favorite time of year is Halloween. According to her, it let’s her be her natural self. She has all kinds of costumes and she wears them daily for two weeks before HER DAY. Do you think I should be worried? Every day she sends me pictures of her dressed as a hula dancer, a clown, Jason or a soldier complete with guns and knives. She actually goes shopping or anywhere else dressed like this. She sent me this great tongue-in-cheek item that she wrote about California and I am passing it on to you.

You know you’re in California when: (1) Your co-worker has 8 body piercings and none are visible; (2) You make over $300,000 a year and still can't afford a house; (3) You take a bus and are shocked at two people conversing in English; (4) Your child's third grade teacher has purple hair, a nose ring and is named Breeze; (5) You can't remember...is pot legal? (6) You have been to a baby shower for two mothers and a sperm donor; (7) A really great parking space moves you to tears; (8) A low-speed police pursuit will interrupt ANY T.V. broadcast; (9) Gasoline costs $1.00 per gallon more than anywhere else in the U. S. (thanks to state taxes), but the air is still brown and thick; (10) A man gets on the bus in full leather regalia including chaps and you don't even notice; (11) Unlike back home, the guy at 8:30 a.m. at Starbucks in a ball cap and sunglasses who looks like Clint Eastwood, is Clint Eastwood; (12) Your car insurance costs as much as your house payment; and lucky number (13) Both you and your dog have therapists.

As you can see, Molly’s charming wit adds a lot to the chat at the table. She also writes love songs and I fully expect to see her name on a song at the top of the charts one day.

In celebration of Halloween, I will share with you the most frightening story I know. Careful, this might keep you up nights wondering if that sound you hear is really the house settling or . . . Late one dark and rainy night a man was walking home alone when he heard a BUMP, BUMP, BUMP behind him. Walking faster, he looked back and recognized the image of an upright coffin banging its way down the middle of the street toward him, BUMP, BUMP, BUMP. Terrified, the man began running directly to his home, with the coffin bouncing quickly behind him. Faster and faster — BUMP, BUMP, BUMP — he ran to his door, fumbled with his keys, opened the door, rushed in, slammed and locked the door behind him. However, the coffin crashed right through his door with the lid of the coffin clapping — CLAPPITY-BUMP, CLAPPITY-BUMP, CLAPPITY-BUMP — on the heels of the terrified man. After rushing upstairs to the bathroom, the man locked himself in. His heart was pounding, his head was reeling; his breath was coming in sobbing gasps. With a loud CRASH the coffin began breaking down the door, bumping and clapping toward him. The man screamed and reached for something heavy, anything! Desperate, he threw the large bottle of Robitussin as hard as he could at the apparition. And . . . the coffin stopped.

Have a great Halloween. To those of you who have emailed me, thanks so very much. I really appreciate the sentiments expressed and try hard to answer all of them. Actually, it is the fun part of my week. Smile big all week and make everyone think you have a secret . . . it works; try it. S M I L E, Caseyannie Contact Casey at: caseyannie24@yahoo.com