I feel a that I have been a little whiny and going about my day with a perspective askew.  Last night I had the chance to catch up with one of our neighbors, she is a friendly and warm woman who is always there to lend a hand or offer a smile.  She is a single mother with a three year old daughter who works hard to give her daughter a home with a backyard she can run around in.

She isn’t much older than Management and I but last night she looked like a lifetime of struggle and worry had worn her down.  Her soft yet full voice was raspy and faint and her eyes dull and half-lidded.  I tentatively asked if she was feeling ok, if she needed anything, particularly since we haven’t seen her about the house in a good month my thought was maybe life was washing up over her mouth and nose.  She replied that she isn’t feeling very well, “Sick really.  I have breast cancer.”  She started her chemo last week and three weeks prior had a radical mastectomy.  She has applied for long-term disability under the FMLA as when the chemo ends in September she is slated to have a biopsy on her thyroid.  She had battled Hodgkin’s in her early twenties and the doctors fear that the chemo might cause it to return.

We talked for a little bit longer about her daughter, how the pregnancy was progressing but soon she was ready to lay down and rest for a spell.  Sitting down heavily in my chair I could help but think about my insignificant fears and worries.  In the end whatever turmoil I think I am feeling is nothing compared to the storms she has weather and continuing to ride out.  Much of life is nothing more than a series of random events strung together; some people are favored by chance while others are not.  My wife asked me what was on my mind and all I could offer was a hug, a kiss, and a simple “I love you.”  It was all the explanation I could give.