A life lesson...

(click on picture to enlarge)

You know, one would think that after three surgeries, two months of chemo and radiation, countless days of throwing up anything I tried to put into my system and all the other indignities that come with having cancer, that my attitude on life would have soured just a bit.

Actually, quite the opposite has happened. My outlook has brightened in a couple of ways. One way is that I am now trying to take a camera with me whenever we have a "family event". Not only do I want to take pictures to share with people, I want them for the memories that are attached to the pictures. Take Saturday for example. To 99% of the planet, it was just another Saturday and Lilli's softball evaluations were just another event in that day. To me, it was something different. It was the day after my 3rd surgery and I wanted to get out of the house. I needed a victory. I think it's safe to say that I got one. Having the pictures will give me something to look back on and savor when I'm older.

Another way my outlook has changed is summed up in the comic above (click on it to enlarge it). It's hard to believe that come this summer we will have been here in Maryland for 3 years. In a lot of ways, the time has just flown by and the days just seem to blend together. Emily's getting ready to graduate high school, Lilli is a very active 9 year old and so on and so on. Yet, it only seems like yesterday that the girls were still little and we didn't have to worries that we have now. Time does fly. It flies through both the good and the bad, whether you want it to or not. The lesson I have learned from all of this looking back is appreciation. Appreciation for the days we do have together and appreciation for the people in my life. It sounds cliche, but life is precious, each day we have with each other is a gift. We should enjoy it the best we can. We should also appreciate and enjoy the people in our lives.

The easiest way to do that is to let people know how you feel about them. Tell those you love that you love them. Not just once in a blue moon, but every chance you get. Take the time, make the time, to see them as well. It may seem silly or trite now (and easy for me to say since most of my family is nearly 600 miles away), but you never know what the future holds for you or them. It shouldn't take something bad happening to someone for you to take the time to talk to them or go see them. You may not have the time once calamity decides to knock on the door of someone you care about. Don't wait until it's too late.

Live life to the fullest. Tell the people you love that you love them. You make an imprint on the lives of everyone you touch. Sometimes, that imprint is bigger than you know.