With cancer you need to have a little faith

When I saw her shirt, I knew I had to meet her.

Keep Calm and Fuck Cancer. I could have written that slogan.

July 9, 2017. I was at the Miles for Melanoma walk. Her shirt triggered an idea for something I wanted to write about Melanoma. I approached her and asked if I could take a few photos, and she agreed. We then started to walk and talk.

We exchanged Melanoma stories. People do that at events like these. I told her I was lucky to find my mole on my back and was even more fortunate that I caught it extremely early. She told me that she found hers while shaving her legs. It was five years in and she had already been through eight surgeries. And, that her cancer had recently returned and it was at Stage Four. Her goal was to try to stay as active and in as good a shape as possible, hoping that her physical condition would help her to fight off the disease.

Her story led to more than a few of my tears. People also do that at events like these.

We walked around a little longer, making small talk. We parted with a long hug. I told her I’d see her at next year’s walk. She agreed but gave me a wistful look. I knew she wasn’t sure about next year. By the time I arrived home, I had forgotten her name. That made it impossible to keep track of her on Facebook, Google or any other social media site. It really was going to have to wait until next year.

In the summer of 2018, I attended another Melanoma walk. She was nowhere in sight. I was talking to my friend Amy who remembered the shirt from the previous year. When I told her how worried I was about her, she gave me this advice, “You have to think positively. You have to have faith.”

A year later it was time for another Melanoma walk. Again, no sign of my friend with the catchy shirt. Let me tell you that it’s hard to be positive under those conditions. Not to mention that I have plenty of issues with faith under the best of circumstances. This didn’t help.

It’s now six years since I saw the woman wearing the shirt with the catchy slogan. Tomorrow is another Miles for Melanoma-Chicago event. I won’t be able to be there, but that won’t stop me from thinking about her.

Stay positive and have faith. With cancer, both are needed.