if you read my blog on a regular basis, you know I’m a big believer in signs; those little nudges, blessings and messages sent from beyond the veil that thinly separates the here and there, the now and then. for me, this ice cart was a stroke of genius by the powers that be. here’s why…
yesterday, we did something hard.
we shared the news with friends, family and colleagues that my superhero dad has colon cancer. my dad had no symptoms. in fact, he hadn’t taken a sick day in years (if ever!). so it was a big fat shock. in the days that followed his diagnosis late last month, there were tears. and hugs. and laughter. and cupcakes. it’s actually been really good.
before my dad started chemo last week, we sat together listing all the reasons why he’s going to be just fine. “you’re the iceman!” i told him, referencing the nickname he’d been given decades ago. he was a tennis dynamo in high school, college and beyond – known for being cool-as-ice under pressure. while earning his masters at yale, he would show up at tennis tournaments in his gompers junior high t-shirt (no joke), carrying a paper grocery bag containing his sweat bands, a change of clothes and tennis balls. he loved seeing how quickly his competitors -with their hoity-toity v-neck sweaters and fancy tennis bags – wrote him off. they’d start the match thinking it would be a breeze to win, and then my dad would blow them away. same thing with cancer, i reminded him. he can stay calm, cool and collected – and knock cancer’s socks off.
