Miracles at the beginning: Part 2 - The support of Strangers

When facing this situation at the beginning, and even more-so throughout, I began to see little things happen that most people take for granted. A smile, a kind word, parking spaces opening up for you without having to wait, elevator doors opening up for you without you even having to lift a finger to push the button. One particular miracle happened while waiting for my turn in the Radiation department. I sat beside an African-American man, truly from Africa, accent and all. I smiled, he smiled. Asked me how I was doing, I replied, a gesture of a fist showing determination, "I'm doing great. You?" He said, "I'm doing great." I asked him; "You're fighting the fight?" He lifted his fist, determined. "I'm fighting the fight. You?" I thrust my fist up and smiled. "Oh, yes!" We each had a round flash buzzer, that lights up and sends off a buzz when it's our turn. His immediately went off. I pointed to his when it went off and said, "It's your turn!" He smiled and said; "I knew you sitting beside me would be good luck." I grinned and replied; "Keep fighting." "You, too."

We saw each other again the next day. "Are you still fighting?" he asked. I said, fist in the air, "Still fighting!" We smiled at each other and separated to go into our chambers.

With scarf on the head and yellow band for cancer on my wrist, people know what's happening to me. They smile. One woman not two weeks ago walked by me and said, "You go, Girl."

My sister-in-law reminded me, as well as a magazine article about 9/11, of which the 9th anniversary was commemorated just a few days ago, that we shouldn't be remembering the tragedy. The victims and their families, yes, but we should not be commemorating the tragedy, that dark day in our history...we should be remembering the days after the tragedy when countries from around the world stood with us in support, total strangers. We should be remembering how our country pulled together, the acts of love and support from stranger to stranger.

When you're out and about today, and you catch a stranger's eye...smile and let them know we are as one. Don't let something tragic happen to you or those around you to bring these words to life and meaning: "Love your neighbor." I know that sounds preachy and if so, I'm very sorry, but in beating this 'situation', which my friends and I call it (I'm learning not to say I'm fighting cancer, I'm learning to say, I'm beating this situation), I've learned that life is too short, too precious to squander away an opportunity to embrace it to its fullest, and the way to do that is to LOVE. It will not only probably make the stranger feel good that a person bothered to acknowledge them in this world, but it will DEFINITELY make YOU feel good doing it. It's a win-win anyway you look at it. :)
Rock on!