Bong! . . . :-) . . . Welcome to Macintosh!
Every once and a while, a comeback appears. Whether it's a superstar
singer or actor fallen from grace, the return of a sports legend, or
the return to profitability that marks a new beginning for a company,
no one can mistake the magic surrounding a comeback. To rise above
insurmountable and seemingly impossible odds to reach for the stars and
shine again - how can that not capture the hearts and minds of people
everywhere?
Apple pulled a comeback out of its rainbow-colored hat in 1998, and
we all know how spectacular that was.
As great as the aforementioned comebacks are, there's no greater
comeback in the world than surviving cancer.
Last October, I wrote an
article about my best friend, who had been diagnosed with
life-threatening cancer, which I later found out was
Rhabdomyosarcoma. Rhabdomyosarcoma is a cancer of the muscles and
other connective tissues. She had the most advanced stage, stage 4. My
heart was flooded with emotions that tore me apart inside, because I
wanted desperately to trade places with her, wishing I could take the
bullet for her so she wouldn't be harmed.
While I was flooded with emotions, you, the readers of Low End Mac,
poured out your hearts and flooded my inbox with hundreds upon hundreds
of emails expressing your thoughts and prayers for her and her family.
It touched me as I read through each and every one of them. I still get
emails from time to time asking how she is doing.
This article is meant not only as an update, but hopefully will
inspire all at the same time. I'm happy to report good news all around!
She finished her last chemo treatment on Wednesday and will soon have
the surgery in which her large intestines will be reconnected.
She has climbed one of the toughest mountains there is to climb (if
not the toughest) on the journey of life. Through every hurdle,
every roadblock, and every storm, she jumped it, climbed it, and
weathered it with a grace and strength that comes from within. She
clung to her faith in God, which also helped her through it all,
surrounded by her family and friends and their love. Love is the bridge
our hearts build in unison. Hand in hand, that bridge connects us in
body, in spirit, and in heart. She has no doubt felt that love from the
beginning and continues to be surrounded by the never-ending bridge of
love.
She recently won a $500
scholarship from the American Cancer Society for writing about her
experience with cancer. She has hopes, dreams, and goals for her
future, a future looking brighter with each passing day. With each new
dawn, she remains strong, getting stronger as she goes along.
Now, as she prepares to close this chapter on her struggle with
cancer, she moves onward in writing a new chapter in her life. Each
page filled with hope, promise, and written in pink to boot.
To you, beautiful, I write these words. I want to tell you again how
absolutely filled with happiness I am over your recovery and how proud
I am of you! You fought even when you were at your lowest physically
and emotionally. You never gave up, because you felt the flame of
determination burn inside to want to rise up and beat this. You have
been and will continue to be a beacon of light to everyone you meet and
to those who go through the same uphill climb you did. This article, no
matter how eloquently I intended to express my thoughts in, will never
do justice to what you've accomplished and to speak to the person you
truly are on the inside.
Now that, my friends, is the greatest kind of comeback!
