My brave sister-in-law has brain cancer. Well she had brain cancer about a year ago. Right now, she doesn't have brain cancer. Her MRIs and tests are all clear.
She was in a car accident and during the tests to determine why she blacked out, they discovered a malignant brain tumor. She had brain surgery a year ago. When I visited her post-op, I cried and she smiled and she talked. She explained how lucky she was to be in an accident so they could discover the tumor. How lucky she was to coincidentally connect with the best doctor in the Valley, how lucky she was to have supportive kids and friends and neighbors.
She said she would not change anything about the past year. She never thinks "why me?" She only thinks how grateful she is to have such good care and she looks forward to the future and where it will lead.
I told her she is more highly evolved than I.
I wanted to tell her how proud I am of her and how every conversation with her gives me insight into living a better life and how she has been an example to me. How I aspire to ignore the little annoyances and focus on the important things. But I never tell her those things. I don't want her to think I'm summarizing her life or that I'm trying to make things right because there might not be time to do it later. I don't want to doubt her strength. I want to keep believing just like she believes.
So, awestruck, I listen and ask questions. I hope her answers will continue to make me smarter and make me a better person like her.
I don't know what will happen. In my heart, I think she is going to be a miracle. I think her strength and positive outlook will keep the cancer at bay. I really do. But she has told me if it doesn't, she will be okay. She is mostly worried about the toll it will take on her kids and us.
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