My Memories of Cancer...part 1
Several years ago, I think about ten, I went to volunteer at Gilda's Club in Seattle, Washington. Gilda's Club is an organization that provides support to those with cancer. I would pass the house almost daily on my way to work and never really thought to stop in until one day. I was working in a hotel at the time and it was really very slow in the fall and winter. I was looking for something to do with my spare time; something with meaning so I went in and signed up to volunteer.
I remember the first meeting of the volunteers a few nights later. There were about 8 or so of us sitting in a room with the volunteer coordinator. We went around the room and introduced ourselves. Each person volunteered a story about how cancer has impacted their lives. My sister in law had dealt with breast cancer a few years before, but they caught it in time and by that time, she was in remission. However, she did not immediately come to mind when it was my time to speak. Nothing really came to mind. When I volunteered my only goal was to do something, anything.
About a year later, I found out that my friend Kathy Sullivan had passed away from breast cancer. Several more years later, I lost a sister to breast cancer. When I decided that I wanted to leave the world better than I found it, I had no real problems, or so I thought. When I first stepped through those doors, my thought was that there was a problem to be solved and though I do not claim to have all the answers I wanted to pitch in and lend a hand.
I have cancer. Whatever fate may hold for me in the coming days, I want to talk about it, but not just because I have it now but because there are voices that need to be heard and shared. Above all that, I think that there are about a million other things that I would like to do.
Other writers on this blog will post about things but I am anxious to talk about this and what we can do in a year. A year will tell the tale and this year has the potential to be the greatest year of my life.
I remember the first meeting of the volunteers a few nights later. There were about 8 or so of us sitting in a room with the volunteer coordinator. We went around the room and introduced ourselves. Each person volunteered a story about how cancer has impacted their lives. My sister in law had dealt with breast cancer a few years before, but they caught it in time and by that time, she was in remission. However, she did not immediately come to mind when it was my time to speak. Nothing really came to mind. When I volunteered my only goal was to do something, anything.About a year later, I found out that my friend Kathy Sullivan had passed away from breast cancer. Several more years later, I lost a sister to breast cancer. When I decided that I wanted to leave the world better than I found it, I had no real problems, or so I thought. When I first stepped through those doors, my thought was that there was a problem to be solved and though I do not claim to have all the answers I wanted to pitch in and lend a hand.
I have cancer. Whatever fate may hold for me in the coming days, I want to talk about it, but not just because I have it now but because there are voices that need to be heard and shared. Above all that, I think that there are about a million other things that I would like to do.
Other writers on this blog will post about things but I am anxious to talk about this and what we can do in a year. A year will tell the tale and this year has the potential to be the greatest year of my life.
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