Teen Shows Us How to Live While Dying

Sometimes death teaches us a lot about living.

Such is the case with Molly Eisenberg, a 19-year-old college student from Massachusetts who died Oct. 21 after a year-long battle with ovarian cancer.

"Even when the doctors told her the treatments weren't going to be successful, she was the person cheering up the family and deciding she was going to live life the way she always had,'' her father, Eric Eisenberg, told The Boston Globe. "She lived as if she was going to live forever, even when she only had months to live.''

One example? Several weeks back her family held an early Halloween party at her urging. She could barely move, but she managed to keep her costume a secret until the party began, grabbing the spotlight in a white doctor's coat and big blond wig.

"Literally, until she could no longer walk, she was cracking everybody up, and she was very worried about how we would get by after she was gone," said her father. She said, 'Dad, your job when this is all done is to not be sad.'"

That's clearly a tall order, but the family is coping by recalling happy memories, like Molly watching baseball games at Fenway Park or spending time with her many friends, who rallied around her after learning about her illness. For instance, her high school team planned a "Volley for Molly" benefit that drew hundreds of Molly fans and raised thousands for ovarian cancer research.

But it's clear Molly did not make events like these into downer occasions. On the contrary, she kept everyone's spirits high, even as they knew the end was drawing near.

"This last year was Molly's finest hour, and to be able to watch her just made me very, very proud as a parent,'' her father said. "The truth is, we don't always get to watch the people we love rise to the occasion, to rise like Molly did. I was very proud and moved to have witnessed her. She packed a lot into her years.''

Rest in Peace Molly, and may your life be an example to us all.

Photo courtesy of Cieleke via stock.xchang.