Secret Weapon Labs

You’ll have to forgive me before I even start this post.  The seed that spurs it is not necessarily a good one, but it’s the kind of thing you have to write or tell or scream, and so I write.

It’s a difficult thing to surround oneself with a whirling vortex of negativity and confusion, most especially when that vortex can be something as serious and life-altering as Cancer. I don’t have it, but my girlfriend and arguably the love of my life does.  It’s a tough thing to come to terms with and thank the heavens, there is a silver lining to it all, in our case.  The vortex of cancer is that you are aware of how dire it can be and that it puts you on the forefront of war for the fight of your life, whether you are ready or not.  Unfortunately, it’s the situation my lovely girl find herself in.  The aspect which she knows so well is that she works for a cancer research foundation, so she understands what cancer is, how it is found, how it is battled, and how one fights it, but this isn’t the kind of thing that happens to such a young woman, or someone like her, or us.

We, as Americans, generally have the concept of the Other, that events are removed from us and exposed to the Other. We can point blame saying the Others are the reason for us not getting the promotion, the house, the deal, etc.  But when something bad happens, we thank some sacred part of ourselves that it didn’t happen to us and that it did happen to the Others.  What if you find yourself as the Other though?  Life suddenly gets a lot more real, a lot more quickly than you can ever expect.  And so this is the situation I find myself in.  Praying and being positive for the woman I love and finding my own courage to give her whatever I can.

I had once read of a quote from a woman thanking her mother for being her strength, that the woman didn’t shed a tear and fear when she was diagnosed with cancer (she survived) because she never shed tears and wailed in the name of her faith when the going was good, so why should she do it when it’s bad.  She had had so much good in her life, that she never questioned the bad - sometimes they go hand in hand.

There is but a silver lining in the cloud of this storm, and that is that she caught it tremendously early.  Thus, it is very very treatable and she has the best chance anyone could ever hope for in fighting this.  So then, if you have read this far then finish off with the thought that prevention can be worth more than the cure.  And if you have ever fought the disease or no of anyone who has, fight for them.  There are more than enough charities that you can be a part of, and there are more than enough people that can always use positive beacons in the darkness of disease.  Reach out and find your own way, it may be more helpful than you think.