August 14th 2004-August 14th 2007

In one hour and 45 minutes, we will mark the moment in time that we entered Cancer World. It is odd, that now looking back, it seems like only yesterday yet I know it has been a long and arduous journey. We are some of the lucky ones. We are about the celebrate the end of treatment and launch M-E into her sophomore year at Holy Names. I love when the good comes with bad.

Cancer World: my new title for the realm we inhabit. It is not a bad place but it is a place that only a select few visit. Others can drop by and lend support but it is sort of like motherhood, until you have a child you are not a member. (Dads have their own world no matter how hard they try.)

Cancer World never lets you leave. It is sort of like being born Swiss. Once Swiss, always Swiss. You can move on but there is always a mark, a secret handshake, a language that only a select few are allowed to know.
It is not a bad place. It is a place where you learn to receive instead of give. You learn to trust and be flexible. You learn to forgive yourself in ways you never knew possible. You re-adjust your priorities and your expectations of life, people, and the world. You learn that planning is for people with nothing better to do but believe they have an iota of control over their destiny. You learn about the fragility of life.

Your learn that children die. That medicine is not the only answer. That God answers all prayers but not in the way you wish. That parents are so so strong but the children are stronger. You learn that death is not the worst option but is to be accepted, sometimes. You learn that sometimes it is the best answer.

Today, the day we acknowledge three years of being in Cancer World, another family's battle with cancer is being played out in a very public way. Gloria Strauss has been the subject of a Seattle Times series. She is at Children's as we speak in ICU and there is enough pain and prayer to cover the whole world. The title will take you to Jerry Brewer's journal. He has been with the family writing about their journey for more than 6 months and is spending lots of time at the hospital.

Today would be a good day to say a number of prayer for the family and for Gloria.

We are just very thankful that this is just an anniversary.