I really don’t have any clue what my mom is talking about. I never sing. She probably just has her iPod in listening to her funky tunes, and mistook those voices for my own. Funny story! My dad told me a joke. An older, kinda dumb man is sitting at the bar when he realizes that he’s gotta fart (bleck! I never do that either). He realizes that there’s music playing, and figures that at a loud part in the song he can take care of his business. So a loud part comes, and then he slowwwwllyyyy lets out a fart. He does this a couple time until he’s much better. He takes another sip of his beer– feeling pretty smug about himself, when he notices everyone in the bar staring at him. He turns around to give them what-for…. and a headphone falls out of his ear. See! It can happen to anyone!

I know that my mom would really like me to share some of my experiences in dealing with breast cancer. I don’t really know how to describe my experience without sounding ignorant. I used to read books about cancer victims all the time. It was something I never believed would touch so close to home. When I first learned of my mom’s diagnosis I was shocked, a little pissed, and sad. I was mad because my mom had never done anything to deserve something like this. No karmic baggage. But really, I was just sad. The word cancer has an echo that sounds just like doom. However, in all this emotion, never, for one second, did I believe cancer could take my mother. She was not going to die from it. I refused to believe it, and that made everything a bit easier for me to handle. I know death is a part of life. I realized that in fourth grade when I was reading a magazine where a body of a 16 year old girl was found on a hill in South America, a sacrifice. It was a weird experience. Kind of difficult to explain.  But for my mother, death was not an option.

Sometimes I forget. She’s a tricky lady. She’s so loving and optimistic.I don’t know if this cancer has changed us as a family. But I do know how much love and support there is out there for my mom, and our family. There’s so much love. I want everyone to know that I appreciate everything they’ve done to make my parents lives easier. They’re stuck with two teenagers, and we can be very demanding. Emmitt’s the worst, I swear!

Thank you so much.

I love you Mom.