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Why I'm "Here"

I did not choose to be on this Lung Cancer Patient/Advocacy Road; it chose me. Had my late mother not been diagnosed with late stage inoperable lung cancer, I can say with a fair amount of certainty, I would not be on this road. We never considered the possibility of lung cancer because we did not know the facts. Lung Cancer is Not Just for Smokers.
I became an advocate because I did not want one other family to face the shock that our family did. NO ONE IS IMMUNE from a lung cancer diagnosis. My goal is to empower people with information in order to give them a fighting chance. My goal is to reframe the issue of lung cancer in order to address the social stigma currently associated with the disease. My goal is to support increased lung cancer research to find the cure.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Senator Orrin Hatch and Chanukah

As a lung cancer patient advocate I must make every effort to be an optimist; ergo the name of our nonprofit contains the word hope. This Friday marks the first night of Chanukah which essentially is a triumph of hope against all odds. The whole miracle thing about oil burning for eight days when there was only enough for one has, for me, always been a take it or leave it notion - meaning I do not ridicule those who take this event literally. Much to my late parent's chagrin while I have always viewed the events figuratively, truth be told I did not always believe that perserverance pays off. Today I do.
The ancient Maccabeans clung to their beliefs, fought to be who they wanted to be and won. That is the lesson of Chanukah.
Today, Senator Hatch whose political philosophy is to the far right of mine did a good thing; this practicing Mormon wrote not a great song but a fun song for this, one of my favorite Jewish holidays. So there is hope that one day all of us will unite behind religious tolerance. Will give everyone including agnostics and atheists their day in the sun
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