It’s the Ordinary That Makes Life Extraordinary
Looking for meaning in the wrong places
Last year my wife and I sat next to one another as her doctor entered the room, sat down, folded her hands over the lab results, and said to my wife, “You have breast cancer.”
You have breast cancer.
Those four words seemed to hang in the air like some kind of toxic aerosol. I remember my throat feeling dry, and a million thoughts swirled through my mind.
Thus began a year-long journey of appointments, tests, surgeries, scans, and follow-ups. There would be tears, laughter, doubts, and optimism.
I bought Marc Silver’s excellent book, “Breast Cancer Husband: How to Help Your Wife (And Yourself) Through Diagnosis, Treatment, and Beyond.” I attended every one of my wife’s appointments, and always took notes so we’d remember everything later.
There were moments of stress, but also grace, love, and tenderness.
Before the diagnosis, we had a few European trips planned, but they had to be rescheduled. This year, after my wife’s recovery, we finally took those trips to Scotland and Italy.
The trips were lovely, but when we returned home to our daily routines, we discovered something.
