Life Ain't Fair

When people talk about "Life," there are so many phrases and sayings that come to mind. "Life is a bowl of cherries," "Life is a journey," "Life is like a box of chocolates," but lately, it seems that the neverending theme is centered around the saying that "Life ain't fair."

Sometimes it's difficult to thank God for all the bad things that happen in our lives. We find it hard to understand that the worst things happen to the best of us. There are those who are laid off from their jobs, those who are in debt, those who are alone, those who do not have anyone to pray for them, and especially those who are sick. One of the blessings that I'm thankful for everyday is the health of hubby and myself. I'm thankful that my dad has been recovering quite well after his surgeries and that the rest of my family has been more or less healthy.

Cancer. I've really come to hate this word and all it is associated with. When I think of cancer, I think of pain and suffering. While there is no cure for it, I'm comforted that with the latest treatments out there, there is always that hope that it will go into remission and/or be removed from one's system forever. Cancer has been around for so long, but as naive as it sounds, you don't really think about it until it affects someone that you know. I've always heard about it, I've always known about it, but when you learn that someone whom you know and love has it, it completely blows your mind.

I have an auntie back in CA that has Stage IV cancer. Little did I know that this is the last stage of the disease. She had breast cancer a few years back, and after having both breasts removed, it seemed that the cancer was gone from her body. It wasn't. She's been really sick since October-November, in fact, they say that it's a miracle that she lasted throughout Thanksgiving and Christmas. I had the opportunity to visit her while I was in town and man, I didn't even recognize her. She looked so frail as if the life had been sucked out of her. It's just so sad because my uncle (her husband) had a stroke back in '97 and since then, he has been confined to a wheelchair and is need of a nurse at home to take care of him. They have two children, 13 and 6. It just doesn't seem fair that two young kids should lose their mom at such young ages.

One of my oldest friends just told me that she has cancer. Again, you don't think about it until someone you know has it, but damn, this woman is my age! I've known her since the 1st grade and it's crazy that someone who's always had a perfect bill of health is stricken with this disease. She just had a baby last year and it turns out that some bad cells of her placenta invaded her uterus resulting in a rare form of cancer. If there's anything positive to say about her finding out about the cancer, it's that they found it early and that it is definitely treatable. They say that chemotherapy will do the trick and all I can do is pray and keep my fingers crossed that it does.

Upon our return to MN, we found out that a member of our church has lung cancer. Just last week, we learned that it has spread throughout her body. And just the other day, hubby found out that his co-worker's mom has terminal cancer as well. She only has about 3-4 more months to live. Of course there are so many factors that lead up to getting this disease- lifestyle, exercise, nutrition, foods...but what it comes down to is that anyone can get it. It's downright scary. Yet, as unfortunate as these situations are, we must trust that it's all happening for a reason. I take my dad for example. He had gone in for a checkup- he had been feeling sick, congested, had flu-like symptoms, and he was constantly being short of breath. Turns out that he had a silent heart attack. Not good. This meant that they found some clogged arteries and that a quadruple bypass was in order. But during his examination and x-rays, the doctors also found an aneurysm in his stomach that was close to bursting. Had it not been for his exam, they might not have found that aneurysm. The tumor was about an inch or so away from bursting...and when tumors burst, it's very likely that the person will have a stroke and die. Although my dad had to go under the knife twice, it has saved his life. Now, he's eating better, getting more exercise, and living a healthier lifestyle than before. In all these situations, it will be the hardest thing to see the positive that may come out of it, but there will always be something.

Life ain't always fair. But what comforts me and I hope will comfort others too is that "If God brings us to it, God will bring us through it." Please add these people to your prayers and that somehow they will be cured. It may take a miracle and miracles do happen. Much love...