Inevitable

Dear Daddy,

I can't sleep. I keep watching stupid MTV trying to avoid the thoughts that are burning holes in my brain, so I decided redesigning the blog would get my mind off of them. As you can tell, neither effort was successful.

You and I keep talking about how we haven't written in so long. Not surprisingly, we're on the same page. When we write, we go to the deepest part of heart and soul. We can't stop ourselves from admitting the truth. For months now, we wanted just to live, which meant closing that part of ourselves for a while. It's not that we are in denial of our reality- quite the opposite, actually. We are so keenly aware of our reality that we needed NOT to write about it for a while. We needed just to be in the moment without looking back. Sometimes that moment was laying on the beach watching the babies play. Sometimes that moment was laying in a hospital bed watching the seconds slowly pass. Can either moment ever really be put into words anyway?

I wonder if you'll think it's strange that I felt compelled to write on a day that brought such unexpectedly good news. I don't know if your doc had ever seen cancer markers decrease that drastically in someone with your cancer in it's current stage. What an amazing sense of joy overcame me. The thing is, though, it doesn't take one bit of the pain away. I don't mean to sound selfish- I am so grateful to God for what He is doing for you. I just don't know if I can feel joy the way I used to.

We were talking today about how your victories change when you have cancer. We heard the story of the woman who was overjoyed that she didn't have the "mutant gene." O joy of joys, I only have the REGULAR cancer gene! But I get it. Don't you? That was her victory. Amazing, isn't it, that God can help us find victory in our pain? Nonetheless, I gave up my hope a while ago. I've told you before that I don't mean that in a hopeless or defeatist sense like it may sound. I am simply at peace with my hopelessness. I don't waste my time "hoping" for anything. I simply accept what today brings as either wonderful or crappy and I try to roll with it. That works well as long as the people around you accept that. When they don't, it can get painful and frustrating. I shared the news with such joy, but here I am tonight and you still have the damn cancer. Am I joyful that the chemo is giving us more time to enjoy, or am I bitter that I have to resort to living my life in '3 on, 1 off' cycles of uncertainty and fear? I guess I can be both. I am both.

We didn't finish talking today about what it's like to remember life before cancer. I realized that I haven't even thought about it in months. Isn't that a strange feeling? Nobody could have explained to me how that would happen. I know that's what people mean by 'the new normal,' but I'm not getting comfortable here because 'normal' is just an illusion. We have to be prepared now for constant change. Doesn't that just wear you out some days? I do not let myself visit the past, which is a shame because there's so much joy there. Then again, the joy is exactly why I don't visit. Someday I hope that will change.
With J's Mom and her injury, K's big change, going back to work and thinking about cancer, I've been feeling like I'm going to implode. That is not to say that I don't realize how many people have much bigger battles that me. I find myself thanking God so much more for all of the wonderful things with which He has blessed me. That just doesn't erase my personal pain tonight.



I meant what I said today. When I woke up this morning, the very first thing that popped into my head was how incredibly brave you are. When I say you have surprised me, that doesn't mean that I DIDN'T think you were strong before this. It just means that a different person has emerged from within you. One who we never knew existed. He has all of the fortitude and attitude of my old Daddy, but the new one has this strength- this fight and stuborness that the old one didn't need. You are just amazing. Remember, though, Daddy- you don't have to do anything for anyone but yourself. If doing it "for us" makes you stronger then that's okay, but you'll never hear me tell you what to do. You are still the master of your fate. Well, you and The Master. He's really the only one whose opinion counts. I love you so very, very much.