NOW – you see, I am a person of reflection. I read a lot and when something moves me, I
dig into the words and phrases in an effort to apply them to my life. So recently, when one friend sent me the link
to this video, “Our Manifesto”, and then another friend sent me the photo below…..I
figured I better pay a little more attention to the words.
Granted my dad is the cancer patient, however
this disease has entered all of our lives.
As I reflect on these words and the past three weeks, I feel that they
describe how our dad’s diagnosis has impacted my brother and I. We are LIVESTRONG! Our parents may be LIVESTRONG someday, but
not today, as they continue to deal with the shock of everything.
You see, it is LIVESTRONG that kicked in for Toby and I
moments after hearing the diagnosis from the doctors. Our unity has become strength for our
parents. Our energy and knowledge to ask
the questions, listen to the answers and then to ask the really tough questions
is LIVESTRONG. We keep reminding our
parents that although it seems like cancer is taking control of our lives, we
have to live every minute with every ounce of our being. We have had to remind them when they feel
like pulling punches, that at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter. We have hugged both of them when the tears
fall and squeezed them tighter when the rage occurs…..we have made them laugh
and had to be that voice of reality that says “suck it up” when the self-pity
consumes them. This is LIVESTRONG!
We believe that this has happened for a reason and we
believe that we have a story to tell from it.
And just maybe for today, that story is simply demonstrating what it
means to LIVESTRONG. Because although
this Manifesto was written specifically for those in the fight of their life
with cancer, I think that there is an underlying foundation here that applies
to everyone. And on Saturday night, when
our dad is the guest of honor in the LIVESTRONG Yellow Seat at the Sporting KC
Game, I hope that others see the LIVESTRONG in all of us.