Good God, it's all over the place

I cleaned out the file cabinet at my office today and came across a folder from my previous life as a newspaper reporter. It contained all my notes and story clips about a young man named Jared, who died of brain cancer almost eight years ago to the day.

I remember being in such awe of him, had so much respect for everything he was doing to beat his cancer and make it to his wedding day, which was to take place just two short weeks after he died. His fiancé Maureen kept her hope burning until moment before Jared died. It was all so sad.

As we were putting dinner on the table this evening, the phone rang, a friend from Wisconsin who called my mother earlier today and heard my news. Kathy has battled cancer twice herself and continues to fight to get it all behind her.

Two reminders in one day. Cancer is everywhere. There probably isn’t a person out there who can say it hasn’t knocked on the door of a loved one or friend. I don’t know what to do about it globally, I only know how to fight it locally. Fight it in me and do everything I can to make sure it never knocks on this door again.