There Goes My Hero

There are lots of heroes in the world. We sometimes make heroes out of people we shouldn't (sports stars, rock stars, whacked-out actors, etc.) That's ok. We all have our own ideas of what constitutes a hero. I'd like to salute one. Now, I know this person doesn't really want the spotlight, so I'll use generic subjects and locations. But this person needs to know how inspiring they are.

This person is a friend (younger than I am) who was diagnosed with a cancer last year. (Btw, I don't capitalize cancer because I refuse to give it power.) You think it would have totally changed their life. I guess it did in some ways. They had food cooked by the community delivered to them (until they decided they could cook themself,) they had friends who helped with child care, and they changed their lifestyle to adjust to surgeries, doctors visits, treatments, and recovery. But to be honest, I only know all that because I was close to the process. If I didn't know about the cancer, I wouldn't have noticed anything. I'm not exaggerrating.

This person still made it out to the bus stop to see their kids to and from school. This person still went on weekend trips, school functions, and did other fun family stuff. Why? Because life is supposed to be fun. And while the medical stuff attached to cancer is obviously not fun, this person never let the fun go away. They showed they are stronger than the disease. They were an example of dignity, strength, and grace. They also know how to laugh and have fun and I'm sure that helps a lot. Of course, their family is completely supportive of them and loving too, another key.




I have not experienced the pain and suffering this friend went through and I won't pretend to. I have sometimes wondered how I would react if I got sick or had a serious medical scare. Now, the bar has been set. I will look up to this hero and act like them. Today is their last day of treatment. Take that, cancer (with a small c)

PS-I really don't care if the people around me on the train see the tears in my eyes while I write this.