on cancer

Cancer.
A population control disease without a cure. Millions and millions of dollars collected every day by people who have been affected in some way go towards supporting the research and discovery of a treatment that can cure those suffering. Years of research, of experiments, of reading, of writing, of studying....

Yet no cure. Please.

My five year old cousin. My friend's mom. My dad's best friend. My great uncle. My teenage male cousin. My 18 year old female cousin. My best friend's mom. My ex-boyfriend's mom. Grandmothers. Grandfathers. Cousins. Brothers. Mothers. Friends. Sisters. Uncles. Fathers. Aunts. Co-workers. Pets.

Very few of that list survived.
And I how I thank God for the miracle that they did.

But where is the cure? When the words "she/he has cancer" are mentioned again, it's as though the words are meaningless. They barely exist. But-but- they don't smoke. They eat healthy. They take care of their body. But-but- he's five! But she has her whole life ahead of her. What about her kids?

It doesn't matter to cancer. When it decides to join your life, there's no inviting or closing a door. It's there. It's just as lonely as any of us- looking for companionship; desperately making friends with your organs, in hope to make as many as possible to become popular and accepted- to be pretty and attractive. But no one wants it. It's a horror when cancer decides to visit. It's like the crazy family member that always ruins the big family events. The one that ruined Christmas last year.

The bad news is shared again. It sounds just the same as the last time. There is no pretty way to say cancer. It's the same in every accent. It's understood without an explanation. It exists and even though millions of dollars and attention is spent to rid of it, it'll never really go away. It's seeking a friend to accept it; yet we all are quick to turn it away.
Can you blame us?

To accept it is to understand what it is. What it can do. Yet, if we accept it, it won't try as hard. The more it feels unwanted, the more it feels the need to take over. To get your attention and your friendship. It wants to be accepted and works like no brick layer has ever worked to get it.
Accept it. It's there.

However, that doesn't mean it has to stay. I accept the visit and now be on your way. I've got people to meet; places to see; things to do. And you... well, you've got people's lives to change.

Cancer. The disease with no cure. Love. The disease we wish existed.

10 03 2007 11:10 am -my time