The “C” word: I abhor it. My parents, others I know, myself. Today, two dear friends battle cancer’s insidious intent. The reality: I’ve slept through too many days and nights, living on the sidelines. But now my eyes are wide open. My heart, at first numb—a coping mechanism to anesthetize oneself from acknowledging the pain, I suppose—begins to thaw, pump out a pulse. Each one stronger than the one before it: Mocking cancer. Choosing life. This, following inaction, allows for action—for rote. A meal, a visit, a thinking of you card, divine petitions as automatic as breathing. Loving. Yet, the fist-sized organ in my chest deceives as I find myself back on the sidelines. At a loss, unsure of the role I’m to play. Helpless, I observe as others fill my shoes. A bitter concoction of anguish, dejection and rejection wash over me. Or maybe this is the feeling of life as it passes by.

What will you do today to take action, live life?

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