Those Three Words

I’ve always been an advocate of the American Cancer Society. Our family has been hit with cancer three times over the past two decades and I’ve made it one of my life missions to not only be preventative on a personal level but to be proactive on a national level. I’ve spoken with survivors, walked the tracks of Relay for Life events around California, and sadly, I’ve attended funerals that were brought on by cancer.But yesterday, I had a new experience with cancer and it changed everything. For the first time in my life, I heard someone hear, “you have cancer.” I was only feet away in that white hospital room and the words almost sounded muted in a long tunnel. My grandma was hearing those words, and she took them surprisingly well. She simply accepted what she was hearing and said that it was in God’s plan.I particularly remember my grandma asking if the cancer was curable. In the kindest way possible, the doctor conveyed that the answer was no. My grandma asked, “Will this lead to my demise?” In the gentlest way possible, the doctor told her that yes, it would. In 2 to 3 months in fact.It could be less though. My grandma has said she is ready and at 91 years of age, I think she is more than satisfied with her life on earth. She was married for over 50 years, she had four wonderful children, she has four grandchildren, and five grandchildren. She’s proud of what she’s leaving behind.It’s certainly a shock as my grandma was just eating breakfast on Saturday with us, with her hair all done and no symptoms of any sort. But within 24 hours, she’d be in the hospital hearing those three words that I never want to hear again in my life. It was a turning point, a moment when you realize that you’re getting older and that yes, death is and always will be a part of life.I hope you all live happy lives like my grandma has and may we truly treasure each day because you never know how it will end. Gratitude is everything.Keep shining,The Sunny Girl, Lauren Cook