2019 Paint the Paper Pink

Page 48 2019 Paint the Paper Pink Lincoln Daily News October 2019 The second hardest was her son Michael, she said, because he was a football player with Illinois State and his team was heading out to play in a championship. She didn’t want him to be distracted, but she knew she needed to let him know. She noted that of course, she told Michelle, and of course, she had a few close friends that she knew she would be able to count on to support her and hold her up during this time, so she told them. Michelle talked about hearing the news from her mom and how she feels God’s hands were in the fine details. To back up a bit, Michelle explained that this was the time in her parents’ life when they were preparing to retire. After 40 years as a Country Financial representative, Charlie Williams was ready to step aside, and Michelle was interested in taking his place as a Country representative. In order to do so, she needed to study for her license, and take two exams, both complicated, but one more difficult than the other. She had taken the most difficult exam and passed it. Her mother had known in late December that she had cancer and surgery scheduled for January. Michelle took that second exam in early January and failed the easier exam by one question. Michelle said that by failing, she had to wait 30 days before she could re-take the exam and get her license. She had already left her position with Lincoln College, so she was free of all career obligations when her mom had her mastectomy. She said, “I got to spend without any regret or pull in any way shape or form, I got to spend days with my mom during her recovery process. In my opinion that was God’s timing.” Michelle interjected that the calm and the strength she saw in her mom was a surprise. She said her mom had always been a strong woman, and she knew that, but at the same time, Mary Williams was the kind of lady who would shed tears over a sad commercial on the television. Michelle said, “Back then, I didn’t know how strong she was, and that scared me because I couldn’t fight for her. I’m the tenacious, in your face type person and my mom isn’t like that. I was afraid this battle would change her in a negative way. It showed me how strong she was, how composed she was, how brave she was.” Michelle said Mary “owned her fight” without self-pity or vanity. Michelle said for herself, there were a couple of emotional times Continued n