Cindy's Lightning

Seems like much longer ago than February 13 that my “Lightning in a Jar” post here dared to  imagine Cindy enduring leukemia treatment to join our family’s reunion in July. The post recalled Cindy last Christmas Eve stoking excitement for the reunion by gifting each of our youngest families last Christmas Eve with Patricia Palocco's book, “When Lightning Comes in a Jar”  about her own family reunion, also held in Michigan?

On the inside cover of each book, Cindy wrote: 

Dear (nieces and nephews).

Our family reunion is coming up this summer (2019). This story is about the family reunions of the author, Patricia Polacco. It talks about the importance of traditions that tell the story of your family. What makes this story even more fun, is it takes place in Michigan! Looking forward to our reunion in July and sharing stories with you from this family of ours. Let’s make our own jars of lightening this summer!

Merry Christmas (2018)

Love and Blessings, Great Aunt Cindy

Turns out, lightning bugs were the lightning that the author’s family corralled into jars after dark. 

At that time, Cindy was battling treatment so praying for her to recover enough to go to reunion seemed a bit audacious. Nevertheless, we camped onto Ephesians 3:14-21, vesting our hope in a God who is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” 

Seven days later, Cindy achieved remission followed by discharge and a glorious month at home as she steadily felt better each day, recuperating from chemo, regaining strength and confidence, modeling and accessorizing her head coverings as she geared up for the first of four rounds of consolidation chemo.  Everything we imagined seemed to be on track for fulfillment.

Then came the dread we hoped our prayers would keep away.  An infection worsened and, long story short, Cindy died on April 8 - inconceivable considering the anticipation of reunion less than four months earlier.

So we grieve but we also cling to the promise of life that our faith in Christ assures, faith that challenges us to consider that our prayers for Cindy were answered in a way that was indeed beyond what we imagined for her and ourselves - reunion with her Lord and, ultimately, for all who believe as did she.  

Joy, yes but admittedly, bittersweet too. Here is where faith enters in.

In the spirit of this hope, of our faith, I wanted to do something at reunion to honor Cindy’s indomitable zest for life fueled by her faith in Christ.  Turns out, Cindy’s “lightning in a jar” initiative sparked my creativity (pun intended) thanks in no small part to a “lightning jar” gifted to my sister Julie from a friend who read our post -  a mason jar with a solar cell lid that powers a string of little lights. When lit, they look something like lightning bugs - lightning in a jar!

I ordered a bunch of them and found a cool, mason-jar-shaped tag on Etsy that I had inscribed with, “Lightning in a Jar - Trevisan Reunion 2019 - from Glenn and Cindy.”  Our daughter Laura wood-burned recipient names on the back of each label.

The lightning jar keepsakes were presented on opening night of reunion along with other jars and butterfly nets just for catching lightning bugs.  We anticipated several, exciting nights of lightning bug catch-and-release fun. However, the lightning bugs must have been on vacation as well because we never saw a single one all week.  

Turns out, the only lightning bug activity the whole week were Cindy’s jars, bobbing around our reunion complex each night, also assuring that not a single lightning bug was hurt in the process. 

How was it received?  Well, let me offer these words from my brother Neil in a text to me after reunion:

“Since we have been home, the lightning bugs have put on a magnificent display every night….last night being the most spectacular yet. I tried to video it to send to you but to no avail.  I think nature’s beauty, much like our faith and beliefs, isn’t a tangible, “catch-able” thing. More like a feeling or an experience in our heart…. A sense of wonder hard to articulate or capture, but powerful to create emotions and feelings.  For the rest of my time on this earth, lightning bugs will always remind me of Cindy and will feel like a heavenly embrace. 

Well put, Neil.  I would only add that the faith that sustains us and that comforts us in our grief is, according to Hebrews 11:1, “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” - so, more tangible and catchable than generally thought. 

We didn’t see any lightning bugs at reunion but the idea of them that our lightning jars brought to life was wondrous, as Neil expressed; Not to mention memorable and something that will remind us of Cindy’s beautiful spirit and faith for a long, long while.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7a, ESV)

But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. (Isaiah 64:8, ESV)

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 54:14-16, ESV)