“One day,” you said to me, “I saw the sunset forty-four times!” And a little later you added: “You know—one loves the sunset, when one is so sad…” “Were you so sad, then?” I asked, “on the day of the forty-four sunsets?” But the little prince made no reply.” ― Antoine de Saint Exupery, The […]
Tag: legacy
October 11, 2001
On October 8, 2001, an American Airlines flight was headed to Chicago. Suddenly, a passenger started screaming, “Save the Sears Tower. Save yourselves.” He was convinced the plane was headed towards the country’s tallest building and tried to break into the cockpit to stop it. The man was subdued by passengers and crew. No damage […]
Letter to Alex
September 11, 2001 was shocking for me, as it was for every American. After an emotional day, I did what I always do to process my thoughts. I wrote. Nothing even approaching this magnitude had happened in my life to that point. I felt it was important to preserve these memories for my children so […]
The Story of a Girl
From a journal Alex began after her cancer diagnosis. Cancer. What is the first thing you think of when you hear this word that provokes so many reactions? Maybe you have known and loved an individual who battled this disease. Maybe you have been diagnosed yourself and are looking for insight into another individual’s life […]
The Wake Up Call
Shortly after being diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, Alex started a journal. Her mother found it on Alex’s computer shortly after Alex passed away. There were only a few entries. Here’s how she described her introduction to cancer. The Wake Up Call It was very early in the morning, before sunrise, when I awoke; one of […]
Keep Moving Forward
“Let me tell you something you already know.” “The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life.” “But it ain’t how […]
The First Mile
I sat down at my computer on September 1, 2022 and saw a Facebook post from Alex’s doctor. It had been more than three years since Alex passed away, but I stayed in touch. Alex admired her. So did I. She was brilliant, kind and deeply committed to her patients. I could see how much […]
Childhood Cancer Awareness: What I Didn’t Know
Today marks the beginning of Childhood Cancer Awareness month. For me, awareness isn’t about the fact that childhood cancer exists. We all know that—and we are all horrified by it. Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is more about the facts surrounding childhood cancer—things that, even as Alex was battling Ewing’s Sarcoma, I still didn’t know. Let’s […]
Work That Matters
I saw a video once titled, Brutal Truth: Nobody Cares About Your Photography. The narrator described a friend who didn’t post his photos on social media. When asked why, he said, “The truth is, nobody cares about my photography. Nobody cares about your photography. Nobody cares about anyone’s photography.” This struck a chord with me because […]
Forward, Together Forward
“Forward, together forward” “There’s victory in view” “Come on you Huskies, fight on you Huskies” “And win for NIU” Huskie Fight Song, Northern Illinois University The last time I saw Rus Elder in person was Homecoming of 1992. I lived in Maryland, but was excited about returning to DeKalb for the festivities. I was excited […]