It’s not that life’s not particularly exciting, it’s just tiring and can be exhausting from the runarounds, the excuses, the thirty minutes provided by the evening news, the elected officials we no longer have trust in, etc., etc. All of which would be perfect fodder for a topic to blog about. I don’t have to remind you about my New Year’s resolution on “recognizing the right”, and although today’s blog could literally go beyond 3,000 words, I am going to limit things a little today by telling you about last night’s event with the To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation Grants reception in Tiburon where recognizing the right would have been easy for a blind man! To get things started today I went back to April 5th, 2011 to relive that moment in our breast cancer journey. The post that day was titled “Following Your Instincts” and as soon as I read the title I remembered the event. To help all of you I’ve grabbed a section of that particular blog to refresh your memory here:
Originally posted on April 5, 2011
“This afternoon while Bonnie was heading to Expansion Visit #2 down in Marin with Dr. Goodman she texted me to let me know the Oncologist office jacked things up again. I’m going to try my best to put a parallel here that we can all understand.
Pick out your favorite restaurant … got it? You and the family have walked in – and noticed the new members of the wait staff, none of which you recognize. You start wondering, but you’ve made the trip and it’s too late now to leave, so what the hell … let’s order. I order the prime rib, my wife orders the salmon salad, our oldest daughter ordered the lettuce wraps with Thai seasoning and the youngest went hog-wild and ordered the lobster bisque with a side salad. The new waitress, who seemed like she left an iron plugged in at home before her shift approaches the table and doesn’t notice there’s no cutlery on our table, or water, and forgets to mention any of the night’s specials. Rather than bore you with what we received when she finally did arrive I’ll just tell you this … two heads are definitely better than one. We left the restaurant, parched as hell, but happy to have left. Why pay for anything you never asked for, nor wanted, right?”
I am not exactly sure of the exact attendance of last night’s incredible function, though oddly the men were outnumbered by at least a 15:1 ratio which always makes my internal thinker start asking questions, but nonetheless, I sat there last night with my bride by my side watching and listening to every word from the presenters and grant recipients. I could not take my eye from a one of them. The room was chilling and warm at the same time and oh so many smiles, everywhere you turned someone was hugging another and laughter filled the room while the bartender did her best to keep the wine glasses filled – which she did!
A woman walked up to me last night and after reading the name on my “hello my name is” tag she immediately said “oh the author!” which flattered to me to no end.
Cindy, the woman, and nurse navigator I work with on the Men’s Cancer Support Group was presented a grant last night and I could not have been prouder.
I suppose things happen for a reason, and as we marveled at the nearly full moon over the harbor last night from this wonderful little back porch at Servino’s, we all realized we are here [as breast cancer survivors] for a reason.
You can almost never lose by following your instincts. Something I’m sure our daughters have learned these past fifteen months.
I’ll be sitting with the Men’s Cancer Support Group in a few hours. Feeling so revived after last night’s gathering.
My thanks to everyone at To Celebrate Life and their slogan “No one should face breast cancer alone. With your help, no one will.”
Peace,
Papa
