The "C Word"

There are murderers and rapists and pedophiles but I think one of the worst things in the world is the dreaded "C Word". It seems like every week someone I know is dealing with this horrible disease. Unfortunately, it has hit a little too close to home. I'm going to apologize now for being cryptic in this blog. Not for the privacy of the person I'm writing about but simply because I've learned to hate the phrase "I'm sorry." It's a patent phrase that people use when they don't know what else to say. I started hating the phrase when my beloved Papa passed away. People would come up to me, embrace me and simply say "I'm sorry." I wanted to say, "For what? Because I lost one of the few men that I've put up on a pedestal or because I can't imagine life without him or because my beautiful Nana will have to learn how to live alone or because you don't know what else to say?" Since 2003 I have never said those words to people that have been given bad news or when dealing a death. On the rare occasion I use that phrase I always follow it with the reason why I'm sorry.
OK, I've digressed enough. One of my heroes, the closest human being I've ever met that- in my eyes- is near perfect, was told he has cancer. Now as far as cancers go it's the "best kind" (Really?? There's a good kind of cancer??) a man can get. But it's still the "C word". It still comes with uncertainty and fear, with decisions in regards to the future. It comes with telling people and having to hear them simply say "I'm sorry." The good news in all of this is that the person who is dealing with this is one of the strongest people I know. He handles everything with calmness, dignity and keeping God at the center of EVERYTHING. So if anyone can handle it, it's him. So there's no need to say "I'm sorry." Instead say, "I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers." and leave it at that. There's nothing else to say until the dreaded "C word" is no longer in existence...or until a cure is discovered.