The Road Back

I’m not who I was.

I would be a fool to have gone through all of this and remain unchanged. I’m not a “saintly” cancer survivor who now enjoys a love of all mankind. Nor am I on a quest to “live for today.” I have too many responsibilities to the future to do that.

I feel like Tom Hanks at the end of Castaway. I am at a crossroads. Which road do I take? I know my road back will lead through physical rehab – and a much longer physical rehab than I initially expected. I guess you can’t sit on your ass for 8 months at age 45 and just bounce back. So I envision my road will include many, many laps in the pool.

I know my road back will have to include doing what I can to help the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and cancer charities in general. Every hour of every day there are 5 more people like me getting bad news. We must develop tests for early detection of all cancers to give people a fighting chance and we must never stop working for a cure.

I know my road back will include working for a more secure future for my family. Fool me once…

I hope my road will include more laughter, more time with friends and family, making work more fun and working hard at play. I need to be deadly serious about the things I care about and take myself much less seriously.

I will need more tolerance, courage and wisdom on the road. But who doesn’t?

Here I am.

Now, where to?