Midday Vent

I almost never post during work, but I have to today.

Yesterday morning, I heard Elizabeth, my sister's friend, learned her breast cancer has returned. The news was deeply saddening. We love Elizabeth and her family. That emotion boiled for awhile, and later in the day, I was perturbed to the point I dropped some very-rare-for-me sailor slang in a conversation with a friend. That friend noted there's something environmental or something we're consuming that's the cause of the cancer epidemic. I agreed, wanting to swing at whatever it is.

Today, I'm flat-out hot under the collar. A leukemia survivor we're following, Ann, has relapsed. She's about to go through the same hell she endured once and the same hell Dori just went through. Ann's blog, which is intensely personal, is about as real as it gets. Her husband, Chris, who contributes on the blog, knows what's ahead. His recent posts and video capture it all.

Seeing all of this ... the steady drumbeat of cancer against many bodies ... sometimes gets my blood going. Now is one of those times. I see people behaving recklessly (terrible diets, addictions, unsafe driving and other questionnable pursuits), and it causes me anguish. People I know and love are trying to do anything they can to live. Others seem to be doing the exact opposite.

Unlike some, I am convinced God has His plan for each one of us. I don't view it as a predetermined roadmap, but as a series of choices.

That's my midday philosophy and vent ... back to work. Please surround Ann, Elizabeth and all cancer patients in prayer this holiday.