Friday, November 20, 2020.
That’s the day it happened. Friday afternoon slowly wove its way toward evening, and suddenly I wondered where my wife might be and why she hadn’t called me. I mean, this doctor’s appointment normally would last an hour, not three hours. I almost failed to notice the absence of any update from her, because that afternoon, as on so many other afternoons, my own appointments and phone calls distracted me and immersed me in a typical daily race against the clock, trying to get it all done, especially because of the impending weekend. I knew Friday night would soon arrive. Friday night, our favorite night of the week.
The afternoon was more than half over. No word yet, but maybe she ran some errands on her way back. I reminded myself: No need to overthink anything or worry about anything. Soon we could kick back and welcome the weekend. Ah, good.
Finally, I saw her incoming call at about 3pm.
“Hey!” I said.
Silence. I waited. More silence. I waited.
“I have breast cancer.” That’s all she said. I don’t remember what I said next.
So began our new story, a story we never wanted, a story that blew our plans and expectations and our dreams to pieces. In a series of posts in the coming days, I will do my best to share that story with you and to let you see not only glimpses of the people in this story but also get to know some of them.
My hope is to offer some measure of what most of us (including me) need most in our lives: hope, reality, truth, honesty, an openness to learn, a willingness to admit we often lack answers at times when we need answers more than ever, and the faith to keep on believing that when all seems lost, maybe, just maybe, we will find just enough light to take one more step on an unfolding path that is so enveloped in mystery and darkness we really can’t see where we’re going. But, in the listening, in the openness to learn, in the reality of it, in truth and honesty, and in faith, we may find just enough light to take one more step, without needing to see it all. Or even at all.
More to come…