82: Who Would Have Known?

Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. Aristotle

Today, ‘The Little One’ turns 82! It is a feat to recognize considering we are now 16 months past the oncologist‘s original estimation of 3-4 months to live after the completion of his radiation and chemotherapy treatments in October of 2011. We all know that Cancer is an insidious disease, unpredictable and unkind to many. While we feel blessed to have the extended time together, we are cognizant of all cancer victims and their families today.

We learned from our oncologist prediction in October of 2111 that there is really no one who can tell us how this ordeal was going to play out. There are no timetables in life: what is here today, is gone tomorrow. Knowing full well that I am not the one with cancer, I had to learn my supporting role as the caregiver as time played out. Remembering ‘TLO’ determination and commitment to ‘fight this as best I can’ still rings in my ears from October 2011. His determination is still prevalent today!

I have never liked phrase ‘terminal illness‘ …some people view life as a terminal illness. Yikes, how sad that is! The TLO and I have both buried our previous partners, in one sense that is what drew us together. Our previous Caregiving experiences give us the foresight to know that…we really don’t know what is going to happen. The best we can do is be present in the day. That is why is it our hope that lets us withstand problems, and it is our dreams that lets us find solutions.

We celebrate birthdays as milestones, and today is a special milestone for ‘TLO’. Happy Birthday to my best friend, pal and partner. May your hills always have a gentle wind at your back.