LEAD August 2021 | Page 19

Learning Through The Loss

Daniel Fusco

I ’ ve always said I wish God could teach me the biggest lessons without the biggest heartaches . But I am continually learning that the Lord gets some of his most profound work done in my heart in the context of suffering . I usually find it ’ s seasons of grief and suffering when I learn the most .
More than twenty years later , the tragic loss of my mother to cancer is still one of the most painful parts of my life . She was diagnosed with lung cancer at forty-seven years young . After some gnarly months of treatment , my mother was declared “ in remission ,” only to suffer a shocking relapse and a rapid decline . My mom breathed her last breath on this side of eternity on July 3 , 1997 .
It shook me to the core . I wasn ’ t your typical mama ’ s boy either . But my mom was one of those larger-than-life people , full of love , vitality , wisdom , and fun . She was my greatest advocate . She had this amazing way of challenging you and cheering you on at the same time . She was amazing at letting you be you while still helping to guide and shape you . For me , it was almost impossible to imagine living in a world without my mom . And I didn ’ t want to .
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