A Letter To Cancer…

There are many kinds of survivors who have overcome you. There are the ones who battled and sacrificed to overcome the carnage that you inflicted on their bodies. And there are those whose body was overcome but whose soul you could not hamper. They live on in every happy thought and smile that graces the faces and hearts of their loved ones.

Then there are the survivors who have endured only the mental anguish of your wrath. These are the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, grandchildren, and treasured friends of those who have passed on to the next phase of their journey. These are the ones who feel like failures for not finding a way to end their loved one’s pain. They are the ones who grasped tighter and tighter as the end drew near. We believed with all our hearts that we could hold our person in this world if we could just find enough strength and love. We were willing to make wagers that would carry on into eternity if only we could trade places or bargain for just a bit more time. You forced us to go against every thread in our being to let go of what we held most dear. Some learned to accept this act with grace, while others forced you to rip our loved one from a tightly clenched fist.

You think you have won. But like our loved ones who have gone on, you could not break our spirit. Now we must live for two. We must share that special person’s spirit and goodness to keep them and ourselves alive and making a difference in this world. We will not give up. And we will not allow you to silence the good in all of those loved ones you have taken from us.  

I could compile a long list of names that have inspired me with their strength during this battle. Many aunts and uncles dating back to my childhood showed me what a warrior really looks like. And as an adult, my father further defined true courage and determination in his battle. More recently, Edward added immense depth and refinement to my definition by focusing on others and making his final days meaningful rather than harboring resentment toward his fate. His goal was a cure, even if it would not be his cure.

Please feel free to join me in mentioning those who have inspired you to carry on their work to make this world a better place, even after they have left us. The list of names we create here is just a small tribute and reminder that cancer cannot win unless we choose to let it.