Of roses and birthdays and positive thinking

Robert Frost wrote a poem called "The Rose Family." It goes:

The rose is a rose,
And was always a rose.
But the theory now goes
That the apple's a rose,
And the pear is, and so's
The plum I suppose.
The dear only knows
What will next prove a rose.
You, of course, are a rose-
But were always a rose.
(I think Frost had fun with this one, but he admired the constancy in "You.")
About four weeks ago I received a single rose combined with some white pine. For some reason when I put it in a bud vase by the kitchen window, I thought of you, Danda, and I watched it grow and grow ever so slightly each day, a perfectly formed, beautiful creation, pure deep red, and soft to the touch. The day that it began to look a little less vibrant was the day that apparently you experienced the pain in your sternum and things began to unravel just a bit. However, unaware as I was of that at the time, I allowed the rose to wilt just a little longer and then marched down to the florist and bought a new one, its head tightly closed but destined to bloom as its predecessor had. And it has, and it is going strong, nestled in its white pine needles, and it is a gorgeous statement!! And I CARE about how it's doing each day. And while this rose may be eclipsed, another one and another after that will take its place and I will nurture each one and "talk" to them and admire what is strong and true and patient and bold about them, just as I admire those very qualities in you that have always been there.
You've been to Hell and back and still you persist, dear Danda. You're the toughest gal I know. We know you will prevail, even when something sets you back temporarily. Remember back on September 23, there was lots of psychic energy coming your way from the troops because of shared birthdays, I think. And it turned out that the news was great! If you are still scheduled for chemo on December 23, know this: that is my dad's (your mom's Uncle Hank) birthday, and I feel certain that he's going to be sending you all the most powerful, positive vibes to help make you well and whole again. Me too, and all your troops. So maybe Christmas isn't going to be the day for kicking up your heels but hopefully soon after, and in the meantime snuggles and giggles with James and vicarious delight in whatever makes his face light up this Christmas. Your best Christmas present.
Will send our Christmas card with the next post. We love you. We hope things are getting better.