Jon and I will have a salad for lunch today. CANCER. Walk to school, its colder than I thought today. CANCER. Good Morning, yeah I plan on going to Literacy night, see you at lunch. CANCER. Lesson planning time, Ill turn on some music. Man, I love this new Lumineers song. CANCER. CANCER. CANCER.

This my thought process the past few weeks. On Thursday February 18, my Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 Adenocarcinoma of his Appendix. I have never had to really deal with sickness this close to me before.

Nor have I experienced true grieving. It is a real thing. For us as a family, it has been so good for us to talk it out and cry it out. Cassie (my sister) and I have realized a closeness that a family can have. Even in how we grieve similarly. We have the same thought processes, and I know she understands my hurt. She is the only other person who is a daughter of our Dad. She remembers the certain things Dad does and memories of him when we were little. I cannot dig too deep into that yet.

I am thankful for one thing. This new journey is not in vain. I see how it has brought our family closer and made my Dad’s trust in the Lord stronger. I have prayed for that last request for many years. I did not picture that a battle with Cancer would be the means of doing that, but if so, to God be the glory.

-k