Saturday, April 11, 2015

My friend Jo...

oh you give and give and give and give
and it's time to rest
now you need to breathe it in
we will watch over you
nothing will go wrong
we will sit until your are strong
we've got lots to give
we've got all you've given to us
all you've given to us
breathe it in

Hey Rosetta

My friend Jo.
My friend Jo is an Ironman. She is strong and tenacious and she's a champion in every sense. My friend Jo loves life and life itself returns her love fiercely. My friend Jo laughs and talks and chats and makes all feel welcome and important. My friend Jo embraces us, she gives herself freely to us, she gives and gives and gives and gives. We are enchanted with her sparkle. We are warmed by the love of her embrace. And now we give back to Jo for we are indebted to her kind and beautiful soul.

My friend Jo is diagnosed with stage 4 Glioblastoma brain cancer. Her tumor is a particularly nasty one the doctors say. My friend Jo talks of life in measured terms now; months, years. Her 'bad ass scar' zig zags 8 inches down one side of her skull. She shares her scar and laughs in the face of adversity. She laughs because she's afraid. 

We laugh because we too are afraid. 

We are afraid together.

Chemotherapy, radiation, aggressive, insidious, pain, life expectancy are new words in our circles. Hard words, frightening words.

"I'm not going to cry" she says with bravado and she doesn't. I choke when I hear these words, and I look about and I see I am not alone. Marathoners, Ultra marathoners, IronMen, survivors of the Boston Bombing all laugh bravely on the outside, yet invisible tears pool on the floor.



My friend Jo shaved her head tonight at a private studio. Several others stepped up and had their heads shaved. First James, then Scott, Jeanine, Fern and on and on. This campaign raised $13,001.75 for cancer care. Such an expression of love. Surrounded by family, triathletes, marathoners, woman in in spandex pinks, all there to give back to Jo. 

Thanks be to Jo.

We are afraid together.

We've got lots to give.

Breathe it in.

It's a good day to be alive,

Mike