helpless & fortunate

I recently learned that a good friend from my childhood (who coincidentally now lives near us) was just diagnosed with lymphoma. The cancer has progressed far and has spread through her entire body. She began chemo yesterday and I can't even begin to imagine what she and her husband are going through. She and her husband (who is a wonderful writter) are keeping a blog that is chronicalling their experience and emotions as they move through this horrible episode. Quite by accident, they began their blog at just about the same time that I started posting here. Reading their entries makes me realize how trivial the concerns in my life seem -- and make me so very thankful that I have the luxury to think and write about politics, or whimsy or a myriad of stupid topics that will never really matter - not the way things matter when you face serious issues like cancer and children and family. I'm sending all the positive energy out that I can to help them cope with this reality and I am hopeful that there will be a good outcome. If you are interested in reading about their experience, you can find their blog at http://luchalee.wordpress.com but be prepared for a very sobering, paifully sad, but hopeful column.