Love recognizes no barriers.
It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates
walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.

~Maya Angelou

As the cool, crisp days of autumn settled into Boise, Steve began to feel the chill deep in his bones.  Steve’s weight was down and his body didn’t have the fuel he needed to stay warm.  He just wanted to get out of the cold in Boise, and since he had always thrived in the heat of California, he and Julene decided to spend Steve’s birthday month in the warm sunshine of the desert.

The Palm Desert home of Julene’s parents, Doug and Sharon, had always been a special oasis for the Andrews family, so Steve and Julene settled there for the month of October.  Steve, in particular, had always loved Palm Desert, or PD as the family refers to it.  It was, absolutely, his very favorite place on Earth.  Sharon helped out by booking plane tickets to get them there, and also arranging for Michael and Karlie to join them for a while.

On this trip, Steve didn’t have the energy to perform his signature PD arrival ritual – immediately racing from the car, running through the house and across the patio and lawns, and then jumping, fully clothed, into the pool.  However, Steve and Julene did enjoy as much adventure as Steve’s strength would allow.  Together they walked in the desert, they biked, they took hikes on the trails of Mt San Jacinto, and if Steve didn’t have enough energy for those things, they just basked in the sunshine.

Several of Steve’s good friends also traveled to the desert to celebrate Steve’s 53rd birthday, and one beautiful day a large group of eight – Steve, Julene, and their old tennis buddies – headed to one of their favorites trails, Bump & Grind.  Over the years, mountain biking the trail had become a tradition, but this year the terrain was too steep and rugged for Steve to bike, so the group hiked instead.  Part way through the hike, Steve grew tired and turned back, but insisted that his friends continue without him.  As the group hiked on, Julene and Steve’s good friend Craig stole a moment to visit.  Julene turned to Craig and told him, “you know, when you’re married to someone, you see the good, the bad, and the ugly – but with Steve, there is no bad and no ugly, only good.”  This was true.

Steve’s parents also understood the depth of his goodness.  In him they saw love, joy, kindness, gratitude, and a generosity of spirit that knew no bounds. And, on a different beautiful October day, thirty-five years earlier, Jo’s heart had begun to prepare her for the day she would be asked to let go of that exceptional and good presence in her life.

On a weekend trip to Moscow to visit Steve during his freshman year at the University of Idaho, George, Jo, and Steve had a wonderful time.  At the end of the weekend, after they had said their good-byes and Steve was walking toward his dorm, he turned around and gave them one last wave and big smile.  As Jo stood there watching him, a chill ran through her body and she knew that Steve was almost too good to be true.

“Heartbreak asks us not to look for an alternative path, because there is no alternative path.  It is an introduction to what we love and have loved, an inescapable and often beautiful question, something and someone that has been with us all along, asking us to be ready for the ultimate letting go.”  David Whyte

CaringBridge Post

I’m a Happy Birthday Boy!
By Steve Andrews — Oct 22, 2014 12:53pm
Greetings from Catalina Island, off the LA Coast!  Today is my 53rd birthday!  Julene and I have spent a fun few days relaxing and enjoying this beautiful setting.  Thanks to some dear friends for making this trip possible!

As you may know, I started Hospice Care in early September.  At first I was reluctant to sign up as I thought it might mean that I was giving up the fight.  But it has been quite the contrary.  This has been a great experience as Hospice has taken care of our needs, in the comfort of our own home, versus frequent trips to MSTI.

We were lucky enough to stay at Julene’s parents’ winter home in Palm Desert this past month.  Palm Desert has always been one of my very favorite places.  I have always thrived in the desert heat and sunshine, and this trip has been no exception!  Karlie took a week off from school to come and stay with us.  It was fabulous spending some special time with her.  Friends from Boise, Park City, and as far as Virginia Beach have also come to visit and help celebrate my birthday.  Many thanks to all of you!

We are looking forward to an upcoming trip later this month to the Bay Area to visit Michael and Stephanie.  We are also excited to meet Stephanie’s parents from Long Island for the first time!

I’m still off of any kind of chemo treatment and I now fight this disease naturally.  A few advantages I’ve experienced after coming off chemo include an increased appetite, I feel stronger, and I have more energy when doing activities.  However, I do take frequent naps as I still tire easily.  But I feel blessed to be able to enjoy activities such as travel, easy hiking and easy biking.  I have not given up this fight!  We continue to believe in a miracle, should that be God’s plan.

I am humbled by the continuing outpouring of support.  Many, maybe hundreds of people, have posted videos on Facebook in a “Crank up the X Factor Challenge” (similar to the Ice Bucket Challenge).  Thank you to Margi for making this happen.  It has been a fun way for us to connect with people as it is impossible to see everyone individually.  And many thanks go out to the Boise Aeros, Emmett Triathlon, Tri Town and the many bikers who came out to ride the “Loops of Love for Steve” fundraiser, spearheaded by Lora.  You are all so awesome!

So on my birthday this year, I look back and reflect on the things I am most grateful for; friends and family.  Thank you to everyone in my X Factor community, for your continued prayers and support.

God bless you!
Love to all,
Steve