When Chris Lee and Lisa Lindquist exchanged wedding vows Friday
evening, the reverend told the 70 guests that "it was about time."
Indeed, the couple waited more than decade to tie the knot.
But
those words -- it's about time -- displayed on the wedding cake,
carried a much deeper and more literal meaning for everyone there to
witness the joining of two people in love and life.
Chris is dying. His body is ravaged by cancer.
This
"elephant in the room" was acknowledged when he and Lisa were married
in a moving ceremony at the chapel of the Rockyview General Hospital.
Chris has been at the hospital since collapsing early last month while on a trip to Mexico with a friend.
Though
neither dreamed of ever getting married, they decided to pledge their
undying love before friends and family, as much for themselves as for
others, wanting to share an inspiring message of hope.
"The
service was not about the now," says Chris, who turns 44 on Friday.
"It's about time. We realize we loved in the past, we loved in the
present and we'll love in the future."
"It was about making sure
you live your life to the fullest," adds Lisa, squeezing her new
husband's hand as they sit together in his hospital room, dubbed the
honeymoon suite by the nursing staff who helped make the wedding
happen.
Chris and Lisa's love story dates back to 1997, when they
met at the courthouse, where Lisa worked as a clerk and Chris was a
rising star Crown prosecutor.
The two instantly connected,
sharing a passion for life and laughter, and "hung out" as friends
before their relationship blossomed into a full-blown romance.
"Our
mutual senses of humour pulled us together," says Chris, who has
tackled his fight against cancer with the same vigour he showed in the
courtroom.
Their shared wit has helped carry them through the
tribulations of chronic illness, which began in 1997. That's when Chris
was diagnosed with a devastating kidney disease that is believed to
have followed an untreated sinus infection.
After an
excruciating year on dialysis -- three nights a week while he
prosecuted criminals during the day -- Chris was the recipient of a
successful kidney transplant in 1998.
In September 2009, after
more than 10 years of good health, Chris started to feel run down. A
small rash developed on his abdomen. After some tests, he was diagnosed
with Stage 4 metastatic cancer.
The prognosis wasn't good, but
Chris decided to undergo six rounds of six-hour sessions of
chemotherapy, every three weeks. For the good weeks in between, he and
Lisa travelled and made the most of their time.
"Chris continues to live in between all of this," says Lisa.
Friends
say they've been inspired by the couple's devotion to each other, with
their message of time expressed at the wedding still resonating.
"Everybody
was in that time, really present," says Donna Price, a longtime friend
of Lisa who helped with the whirlwind organization of the ceremony.
"It
truly was a celebration of life. And the best part was he was alive
while we were celebrating. We were celebrating love and hope."
Price
urged others to take from Lisa and Chris' story the message that time
is a gift, and not to waste it, especially during the holiday season.
"Take
time to tell those people you love that you love them. There might not
be that next chance. Take time to live with your heart," says Price.
For
their song at end of Friday's ceremony, Chris and Lisa chose the
Finale, a song from the closing scene of musical of Les Miserables.
It's
a piece depicting the last moments of a man's life and his strength in
the face of death -- a powerful and fitting song that Chris says
captured that moment in time.
"Cancer is not a death sentence. It's a life sentence."
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